Red States Pitch The Wireless EV Charging System Of The Future

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Imagine topping off your gas tank while flying down a stretch of highway equipped with futuristic gas pumps. Well, dream on, Klingon. Gassing up at 70 mph is not going to happen any time soon. In the meantime, though, the dream of wireless EV charging-on-the-go is getting closer to reality. Somewhat ironically, two deep red states — Florida and Indiana — are among the those leading the charge.

Florida To Michigan: Hold My Beer

The idea of an “electric highway” did seem rather futuristic when it surfaced on the CleanTechnica radar back in 2013, but by 2021 Michigan was ready to announce plans for the first wireless charging infrastructure on a public road in the US. Installation was completed in November of 2023, with the in-road infrastructure provided by the Israeli startup Electreon and the EVs provided by Ford’s E-Transit electric delivery van branch.

In November of 2024, Michigan also engaged Electreon in a new partnership with the EV startup Xos, aimed at bringing in-road wireless charging to more commercial delivery vehicles. By October of this year, plans were also in the works to install charging infrastructure in additional roadways.

In the meantime, Florida has been hatching plans of its own. The Florida project recently made the news after local station WFTV provided its viewers with an exclusive sneak peek at the work in progress, but the wheels were set in motion more than three years ago when the Central Florida Expressway Authority (CFX) teased word of an in-motion EV charging pilot project to be showcased in the new State Road 516 in Lake and Orange County.

State Road 516 is not just any old new road. Inspired by a living mobility test bed called “The Ray” in Georgia, the new 4.4-mile highway is designed as a showcase for new mobility technologies along with solar power and a more sustainable approach to highway landscaping. CFX launched plans for the new road in 2022 and CleanTechnica’s Carolyn Fortuna picked up the thread in June of 2024, taking note of a wildlife underpass, recreational trail, and native plantings along with technical details on the in-road charging system.

How Does It Work?

Futuristic as it seems, the technology pieces for in-road EV charging have been in place for some time. As CFX points out, if you have a wirelessly rechargeable electric toothbrush or smart phone, or for that matter, an induction stovetop, you have living proof that wireless inductive power transfer is a real thing. The same principle has already scaled up into stationary wireless charging for EVs, and the next step is to make it work on the fly.

For the State Road 516 project, the agency selected the US wireless charging firm ENRX (formerly IPT Technology). “Energy flows from the pre-assembled ground winding coils to a receiver pad under the vehicle through electromagnetic induction,” CFX explains.

“The technology can detect an electric vehicle is directly above it, making the lane safe for all other drivers to use, as well as the surrounding environment,” they add.

“The ENRX Charge 200 kW Electrified Roadway Technology will be able to power all vehicle classes using the roadway: passenger cars, medium-duty delivery vans, and heavy-duty trucks and buses,” CFX elaborated.

If all goes according to plan, ENRX will install its technology on approximately one mile of the new road, from Route 27 to Cork Road, but don’t get too excited just yet. It will only be available to drivers participating in the pilot project with specially equipped EVs.

Wireless EV Charging In Indiana

Each in its own way, Michigan and Florida are both ripe environments for in-road EV charging. Michigan is practically a no-brainer considering its pivotal role in automotive innovation, and Florida happens to be one of the nation’s top three leaders in EV sales, jockeying with Texas for the #2 slot behind California.

Into the mix jumps Indiana, which barely registered a blip in EV sales as of 2024, according to a state-by-state breakdown posted by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in December of 2025. Still, it’s not for lack of trying.

“Despite its former reputation as one of the nation’s top 10 coal producing states and its ongoing status as host of the iconic gas-guzzling Indy 500 auto racing event, Indiana emerged as an early promoter of vehicle electrification back in 2010,” CleanTechnica observed in 2023, taking note of an in-road charging project deploying technology developed by a team of engineers at Purdue University.

Purdue celebrated a test of the new system on December 3 of this year, calling it the first ever in-road wireless EV charging to be demonstrated on a heavy duty truck at highway speeds. The electrified road, constructed by the Indiana Department of Transportation, is located on a 1/4-mile segment of  US Highway 52/231 in West Lafayette. For the record, the electric semi was provided by Cummins.

Purdue notes that dynamically charging an electric truck at highway speeds is a next-level challenge compared to charging delivery trucks on local roads. “A few other states and countries have also begun testing roads designed to enable dynamic wireless power transfer. But making this possible for highways — and particularly for semis and other heavy-duty vehicles — is a unique challenge,” the school explains. “Because vehicles travel so much faster on highways than city roads, they need to be charged at higher power levels.”

“The Purdue-designed wireless charging system works at power levels much higher than what has been demonstrated in the U.S. so far,” the school elaborated, citing the delivery of 190 kilowatts to a heavy duty electric truck going 65 miles per hour. Purdue also emphasized that the same infrastructure will also support dynamic charging for smaller vehicles with lower power needs.

EV Charging & The War On EVs

Part of the enthusiasm over dynamic charging is the convenience factor. Another significant factor is the potential for reducing the size, weight, and cost of batteries needed for a typical EV. That’s particularly important for commercial EVs, which can save precious cargo space by reducing the area set aside for battery packs.

The forward momentum on dynamic charging is yet another demonstration of the staying power of the vehicle electrification movement in the US. Despite the recent, sharp downslide in EV sales following the premature expiration of the $7,500 federal EV tax credit on September 30, activity among conventional charging station stakeholders is continuing at breakneck pace as convenience stores, quick-serve restaurants and other travel-friendly retailers compete for traffic.

In addition, domestic startups including Slate, Telo Trucks, and Faraday Future are moving ahead with plans to introduce new EVs to the US market in 2026 or shortly after. The Scout Motors branch of Volkswagen is also following through on its EV plans, though so far most of its reservations are for hybrid vehicles with on-board gasoline generators to supplement the battery.

Back in May Toyota also dropped word that its sporty new all-electric C-HR crossover SUV will be available in the US in 2026. That remains to be seen, but General Motors recently affirmed that EVs are its “North Star,” indicating the company intends to make good on its plans for introducing more affordable EVs to the US — if not soon, then eventually.