Electric vehicles using motorways may soon be able to be recharged without stopping, under plans being drawn up by the Highways Agency.

A feasibility study for so called ‘dynamic induction charging’ is to be launched within the next few weeks, with off road trials set for 2016 and a road trial expected the following year.

Project director Ian Thompson told an audience last week at an ITS (UK) event in London that charging coils installed beneath the near side lane would allow electric cars to be recharged if travelling at a speed of around 60MPH. He added that only 30 miles of a 100 mile stretch of motorway would require new infrastructure.

The Highways Agency has an interest in providing new ways of charging electric vehicles because it will be obliged to focus more on drivers' needs when it becomes a Government owned company next spring.

“There are around six thousand plug in charging points in the UK, with hotspots in London and the West Midlands, but some people are nervous about going on the motorways in an electric vehicle because of ‘range anxiety’,” he said. “We need to investigate what charging options are available.”

Leading vehicle manufactures are looking to produce electric cars that will receive charging wirelessly and by 2020 up to 7% of new car sales could be electric, Mr Thompson added.

How to bill drivers for the electricity they draw and how much they should pay are areas to be considered, he went on. The Agency may even look to manage congestion by setting a higher fee for drawing power during the day and reduce the fee at night.

(Photo: Highways Agency)

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