New Delhi : Electric cars are taking over the roads, but the fear of being stranded without power is still holding some customers back.
China is building roadways with solar panels underneath that may soon have the ability to charge cars wirelessly and digitally assist automated vehicles. This second solar roadway project – part of the Jinan City Expressway – is a 1.2 mile stretch. The building technique involves transparent concrete over a layer of solar panels.
Construction is complete and grid connection is pending, but is expected to be complete before the end of the year.
The photovaltaic highway may be a step in the right direction.
The special highway is built using solar panels with a thin sheet of concrete on top. The panels below the concrete charge vehicles moving on top wirelessly while an insulator at the bottom prevents moisture from seeping in.
The test was conducted on a 1-kilometre stretch and Xinhua reports that the electricity generated from these panels would not just be used for electric vehicles but would also be transferred to China`s national power grid.
