As electric vehicles rise in number, it becomes important that the required infrastructure be provided for charging them. Along with the usual fare of adding charging stations powered by conventional methods, scientists and engineers are also looking at some innovative approaches for the solution; one of them is that the vehicle itself creates the electricity it needs for recharging.
Engineers in Britain have developed a road that can generate electricity as cars pass through it. The trick is to use piezo-electric crystals embedded in the road to generate electricity. It is claimed that one kilometer stretch of this road will be able to generate 400 kW, a number good enough to power eight small vehicles. This also comes around as a very environment-friendly solution, especially since vehicles generate the power during normal transit. Also, there is no explicit requirement of electricity from the grids, which may come from plants powered by conventional fuels.
Via: Channel 4
