On the A10 motorway, about forty kilometers (25 miles) southwest of Paris, a consortium led by VINCI Autoroutes, in collaboration with Electreon, VINCI Construction, Gustave Eiffel University, and Hutchinson, has launched the “Charge as You Drive” project. It’s the first in the world to implement a dynamic induction charging system on a motorway in live traffic.
An e-truck charges while driving on France’s A10, the world’s first dynamic wireless-charging motorway, delivering above 300-kW peak power, and over 200-kW average power. (VINCI Autoroutes photo library – Caroline Gasch)
The system allows electric heavy-duty vehicles, as well as any electric vehicle equipped with receivers, to recharge directly from the road while driving.
At scale, this technology could significantly reduce the size of vehicle batteries, improving the performance of heavy electric mobility in several ways.
Vehicles could become less costly, lighter, and more energy-efficient, with greater carrying capacity and no downtime for charging. The environmental impact would also be smaller, with lower raw-material use and a reduced carbon footprint from battery manufacturing.
Following laboratory tests and mechanical durability trials on a closed site, induction coils were installed over 1.5 kilometers (0.9 miles) of roadway on the A10. The project is now entering a new phase, with prototype vehicles including a heavy-duty truck, a utility vehicle, a passenger car, and a bus driving under live motorway conditions.
Real-world testing
The dynamic charging pilot for electric vehicles, launched in 2023, is now in full operational deployment. Four vehicles equipped with receiver coils are driving on the A10 to test and evaluate the charging capacity of this Electric Road System (ERS). Early results indicate that the installed inductive system can safely deliver peak power above 300 kW and average power above 200 kW under steady conditions.
The engineering milestones include:
- Material testing: Extensive tests were carried out at VINCI Construction’s Road Research Center to identify pavement materials suitable for the embedded inductive system. Mechanical testing confirmed compatibility and durability under heavy traffic.
- Full-scale trials: Conducted at Gustave Eiffel University’s LAMES laboratory, these trials simulated more than 25 years of heavy-truck traffic to verify long-term wear performance. Results showed no premature degradation of pavement sections containing inductive coils.
- Environmental study: French consultancy Carbone 4 performed a life-cycle analysis showing strong potential for carbon and raw-material savings through smaller battery packs and continuous in-motion charging.
With successful completion of these steps, the equipped section of the A10 is now open to prototype vehicles traveling alongside everyday traffic.
Dynamic induction charging is also under study in the United States, including pilot programs in Michigan and Indiana. The European results provide valuable insight for North American engineers evaluating next-generation charging corridors for heavy-duty fleets.
If proven scalable, this approach could complement stationary fast charging by enabling smaller, lighter batteries, reduced grid strain, and higher vehicle uptime.
Lower-carbon transport
The transportation sector remains one of the largest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions, both in Europe and North America. Dynamic wireless charging could help decarbonize freight and logistics by reducing reliance on oversized batteries and high-power stationary chargers.
The A10 trials demonstrate that this technology has reached industrial maturity and can operate safely in real-world conditions.
For engineers, this represents a potential shift in how electrified transport is designed and supported, from vehicle architecture to road infrastructure.
Filed Under: Charging, Technology News, Wireless charging