Optimization of Dynamic Wireless Charging Systems and Economic Feasibility Assessment of Electrified Roads

Dynamic wireless charging (DWC) systems can make up electrified roads (eRoads) on which electricity from the grid is supplied to electric vehicles (EVs) wirelessly while the EVs travel along the roads. Electrification of roads contributes to decarbonizing the transport sector and offers a strong solution to high battery cost, range anxiety, and long charging times of EVs. However, the DWC eRoads infrastructure is costly. This article presents a model to minimize the infrastructure cost so that the deployment of eRoads can be economically more feasible. The investment for eRoad infrastructure consists of the costs of various components including inverters, road-embedded power transmitter devices, controllers, and grid connections. These costs depend on the traffic flow of EVs. The configuration and deployment strategy of the proposed eRoads in Southeastern Canada are designed with optimized charging power and DWC coverage ratio to attain the best cost-effectiveness. Well-designed intermittent or partial DWC systems are shown to be an effective approach to reducing the overall investment. The economic feasibility of the DWC eRoads is assessed using a levelized cost metric. The results show that the DWC technology is economically viable, particularly for long-haul truck transport. In addition, a sensitivity analysis is conducted to evaluate which parameters have a more significant impact on the economic viability of the DWC eRoads.