By Nyang’au Araka
A Chinese company has begun testing roads that wirelessly charge electric vehicles (EVs) as they drive, while simultaneously powering themselves using solar energy.
The innovation, which blends solar infrastructure with wireless charging, is currently being tested about 1,100 kilometres from Beijing.
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The experimental project, reported by Kenyan journalist Bernard Mwinzi, has already seen a few kilometres of the high-tech road laid out within a dedicated research complex.
The roads are being used by company vehicles, including electric mini-buses that ferry staff around the facility.
At the heart of this innovation are solar panels embedded into the road surface. These panels generate electricity from sunlight, store it, and then wirelessly transmit it to EVs in motion.
The technology eliminates the need for traditional plug-in charging stations or long stops to recharge, a breakthrough that could dramatically reduce EV battery sizes and the number of fixed charging points required in future infrastructure planning.
“This is not science fiction,” Mwinzi noted in his Facebook post.
The tech already exists, and vehicles are being deployed. Think of it simply as in-motion charging.”
Crucially, the system is modular, meaning that damaged road sections can be repaired or replaced without needing to rip up entire stretches, a major advantage over earlier attempts at solar roads.
Each charging coil embedded in the road activates only when a vehicle passes over it, ensuring efficient energy use.
The road surface itself is constructed using a layer of heavy-duty solar panels, designed to withstand both vehicular pressure and environmental exposure.
This addresses the flaws that doomed earlier solar road experiments like France’s Wattway, which struggled with panel durability and inconsistent performance under heavy traffic and harsh weather.
If successful, the Chinese model could revolutionize electric mobility by turning highways into self-sustaining power grids.
The implications are far-reaching: vehicles with smaller batteries, dramatically fewer charging stops, and a transport system that generates its own renewable energy all while reducing the strain on national power grids.
As Mwinzi put it, “If the Chinese pull this off, it could be a game-changer… You can bet your bottom dollar that someone is going to turn this sunlight into money-minting momentum.”
