In-Motion Charging on the Pennsylvania Turnpike
Road transport contributed 23% of all United States greenhouse gas emissions in 2022 and emissions are not decreasing. Electric Road Systems (ERS) make electrification easier by supplying energy in motion via conductive or inductive charging interfaces. An emerging consensus on ERS suggests that it would bring net system benefits if scaled in regions with sufficient traffic, and that the primary user group on motorways will be long- and medium-haul heavy trucks.
This project unites the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission, RISE, and Elonroad to de-risk Electric Road Systems (ERS) on the Pennsylvania Turnpike. By integrating the MOSTACHI simulation tool with US freight data, the consortium maps the economic and logistical utility of in-motion charging for heavy-duty fleets.
The project will deliver a precise investment case study and a practical ERS Deployment Handbook, providing tollway operators with the validated tools and reference materials required for a cost-effective, scalable transition to electrified transport corridors.
Electrification is making progress in segments such as city buses, refuse trucks, and passenger cars with access to home charging, electric vehicles (EVs), with double-digit shares of new vehicle sales worldwide. However, sales shares are low for long-distance road freight, coaches and public-charging-reliant cars. In these segments, current charging solutions render EVs impractical, unreliable, and economically uncompetitive, in part because large battery packs are required to avoid losing productive time to additional charging stops.
The challenges of electrifying road freight are even stronger in the U.S. than in Europe and China. Daily energy use is raised by 20% higher cruise speeds, and mandated driver breaks are shorter and less frequent. If electric trucks must stop to charge, US decarbonization becomes conditional on behavioral change across the logistics industry.
Electric Road Systems (ERS) make electrification easier by supplying energy in motion via conductive or inductive charging interfaces. Simulations of ERS for trucks under EU conditions show that access on major corridors reduces TCO – with battery capacity reductions per truck of 70% and reduced total demand for battery resources.
The Project
Goal
The main goal of this project is to fill in research gaps by producing new knowledge, tools and reference materials, to enable reliable return-on-investment estimation and cost- and time-efficient installation of ERS, primarily by major tollway operators.
"The project is interesting because it explores a concrete business model through which electric road system (ERS) technology can be introduced into society. Previous studies have demonstrated significant potential socio-economic benefits of charging vehicles while in motion, provided the infrastructure is built on a large scale. However, how this scaling-up should be implemented remains an unresolved challenge."
– Jakob Rogstadius, Senior Researcher, RISE Research Institutes of Sweden.
Activities
This project will connect Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission's ongoing effort with Swedish partners RISE, which contributes cutting-edge ERS research and purpose-built simulation software, and Elonroad, which offers a promising ERS technology with no American equivalent. Involving top European researchers and technology suppliers in PTC’s ongoing effort helps to bridge and translate prior largely disconnected work in Europe and the United States.
The project utilizes a simulation tool to de-risk Electric Road Systems (ERS) on the Pennsylvania Turnpike. By integrating US freight data with industry interviews, the consortium maps the economic incentives and logistical utility required for heavy-duty fleet electrification.
The work culminates in a comprehensive ERS Deployment Handbook and an investment case study. These resources provide global stakeholders with validated data on costs, installation timelines, and infrastructure synergies, establishing a scalable blueprint for electrified transport corridors.
Project Manager: Jakob Rogstadius
Project Partners: RISE, Elonroad & Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission
Period: 2025-2026
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