Consortium plans to build electric road in western Sweden

The Swedish Transport Administration has been given an assignment by the government to broaden the knowledge base for electric roads. They have asked for tenders from stakeholders who are willing to build a demonstration facility on a public road in Sweden. VästSvenska Elvägar is one of the stakeholders who are now chosen to submit a more detailed proposal going forward.

The new consortium also includes close to 20 private and public companies, municipalities and academic institutions as partners or as participants in a reference group with an interest in the technology.

Electric roads are an important part of the mobility of the future and to achieve sustainable transport solutions. Energy-efficient and environmentally-friendly vehicles on the roads benefit industries, freight companies and passenger transport and is a natural part of a future sustainable transport system. Demonstration facilities are positive for regional growth and for attracting new competences, business and investment to the region.

The demonstration facility will be integrated in a public road with the purpose of developing, testing, verifying and displaying new solutions for electrical engineering.

"At Alstom, we work broadly with innovative solutions for environmentally friendly transportation, and we see electric roads as an important complement to rail-based traffic. Our charging technology for trams which is now adapted for roads is a good example of how proven technologies get new uses and accelerate development," says Björn Asplund, CEO of Alstom Sweden.

“The Volvo Group currently offers full-electric buses and trucks for city traffic. Electric roads can be one way to cope with emissions-free transport on longer distances. But if we are to succeed, we need a broad collaboration between different actors in society and therefore an initiative such as this one is important," says Lars Stenqvist, Chief Technology Officer, Volvo Group.

In VästSvenska Elvägar, there are currently eight partners:
AstaZero, Business Region Göteborg, Göteborg Energi AB, Göteborgs Hamn AB, Lindholmen Science Park, RISE, Swedavia, Region Västra Götaland. In addition, there is a dialogue with several transport companies who have also showed an interest in participating in the project.