Indiana Tests Magment, Concrete Roads Charging Electricity When Cars Run

JAKARTA - The governor of the US state of Indiana has announced that the Indiana Department of Transportation and Purdue University will soon begin testing the feasibility of "Magment"—magnetic concrete for use in charging electric vehicles while they drive. Magment was developed by the German company of the same name.

Over the years several initiatives have been developed in recent years aimed at charging electric vehicles while they are driving, providing power from nearby roads or trails.

In this new effort, a team of researchers from Purdue University, in collaboration with road engineers from INDOT will construct a pathway on or near the Purdue campus this summer. If the test is successful, another road section will be built, this time a quarter mile section at the INDOT location.

There, the road will be tested with electric trucks that require a minimum of 2000 kilowatts. If the second test goes well, INDOT plans to add one part of the material to an unknown public road section.

Magment hasn't released many technical details regarding its product but its website shows a road segment (or floor) made of magnetic particles mixed with concrete applied to a substrate.

This will be very different from the usual way of making a road—usually, the material is poured and dumped onto a prepared path, then compacted and smoothed. It is also unclear how such a road will be electrified and whether it will be safe for pedestrians.

Magment's page claims that their product is capable of transferring power from the road to the vehicle with 95% efficiency. They also claim that it can withstand all weather conditions, has a high level of thermal conductivity, is safe from vandalism and costs less to use than standard road building materials.

They also note that Magments can be made locally, via license, if a state like Indiana wants to go that route.

The project in Indiana is funded by the National Science Foundation and will form part of the Advancing Sustainability through Power Infrastructure for Road Electrification Project.

It is not yet known whether Indiana officials plan to deploy Magment in other future projects if the initial installation goes well.