Electric Road Systems for Smart Cities: A Scalable Infrastructure Framework for Dynamic Wireless Charging
For urban planners and EV stakeholders, it offers a practical framework for charging infrastructure, but the results are simulation-based and incremental.
The paper proposes a scalable Electric Road System (ERS) architecture for dynamic wireless charging of EVs, integrating inductive coils, V2I communication, and smart grid management. Simulations show reduced range anxiety and improved battery lifespan through frequent shallow charging cycles.
The transition to electric transportation is a key enabler for intelligent and sustainable cities; however, inadequate charging infrastructure remains a major barrier to large-scale electric vehicle (EV) adoption. This paper presents a scalable Electric Road System (ERS) architecture that enables Dynamic Wireless Charging (DWC) of EVs during motion. The proposed framework integrates inductive charging coils embedded in road pavement, real-time vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) communication, and adaptive energy management coordinated with smart grid systems. Modular road segments with a standardized charging process are employed to ensure scalability across urban corridors and interoperability among different EV platforms. System performance is evaluated using a co-simulation framework combining MATLAB-based power analysis with traffic inputs generated in SUMO. Key performance metrics include charging efficiency, energy cost per kilometer, and battery lifecycle improvement. Simulation results indicate a potential reduction in range anxiety and an increase in battery lifespan due to frequent shallow charging cycles. The study further discusses deployment challenges, policy considerations, and energy distribution strategies aligned with climate-resilient urban development. A case study of a tier-1 Indian city is presented to analyze the cost-benefit trade-offs of retrofitting high-density urban corridors with ERS. The proposed framework provides a practical foundation for next-generation EV infrastructure planning in smart cities.