07/05/2026
Florida is testing what could become the future of electric driving — highways that charge EVs while they’re moving at full speed.
The Central Florida Expressway Authority is building a 4.4-mile stretch of State Road 516 connecting Lake and Orange counties, with a 1.6-mile section equipped with wireless charging technology embedded beneath the pavement. Construction on the charging segment is set to begin in June 2026.
Norwegian company ENRX secured the $13.6 million contract to install copper charging coils under the roadway. The system creates magnetic fields that transfer power wirelessly to specially equipped EVs driving above it — similar to wireless phone charging, but scaled for highways.
Officials say the technology can deliver up to 200 kilowatts of power while vehicles travel at highway speeds, potentially outperforming many current fast-charging stations without requiring drivers to stop.
There’s a major limitation for now: the system will only work with specially modified test vehicles. Existing EVs, including Teslas and other mainstream models, would require significant retrofitting to use the technology.
The broader State Road 516 project is expected to exceed $500 million and reach completion by 2029. ENRX executives say the technology could eventually reduce the need for larger EV batteries, lowering vehicle weight while extending driving range.
Wireless road charging has previously been tested on small demonstration tracks at low speeds, but Florida’s project is among the first designed for real-world highway traffic conditions.
If successful, the experiment could fundamentally reshape the future of transportation infrastructure — turning highways themselves into charging networks for the next generation of electric vehicles.
