A new type of concrete called Magment promises to provide power to vehicles passing over it with an efficiency of up to 95%.
The Governor of Indiana announced that the state’s Department of Transportation and Purdue University will begin testing the feasibility of “Magment,” a magnetic concrete designed to charge electric vehicles as they drive over it. Magment is developed by a company of the same name based in Germany.
Simulation of a vehicle driving on a road made from Magment material. (Photo: Magment).
Researchers have developed several initiatives in recent years to charge electric vehicles while in motion, providing power from the roadway or nearby land. In this new effort, a research team from Purdue University is collaborating with civil engineers from the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) to construct a small test road near the campus this summer. If successful, a second road measuring 0.4 km will be built at an INDOT site, where researchers will test it with electric trucks requiring a minimum of 2,000 kilowatts of power. If this trial goes well, INDOT plans to build additional sections of road using the new material on public routes.
Magment has not disclosed many technical details regarding the product but has stated that the roadway utilizes magnetic particles mixed with concrete. This method significantly differs from conventional road construction, where workers pour materials according to a pre-prepared layout, then compact and smooth the surface. The company has not revealed how the electric charging mechanism works or whether it is safe for pedestrians.
According to Magment, their product can transmit electricity from the roadway to vehicles with an efficiency of up to 95%. They also assert that the material can withstand all weather conditions, possesses high thermal conductivity, is resistant to vandalism, and does not cost more than standard road materials.
The project in Indiana is funded by the National Science Foundation. It remains unclear whether Indiana authorities will apply Magment in other future projects if the initial installation process proceeds smoothly.
