The state of Michigan has announced a new partnership with wireless EV charging specialist Electreon and Commercial EV manufacturer Xos, Inc. Together, the companies have received state funding to expand the availability of wireless charging for commercial vehicles, including UPS trucks in Detroit.
It's been almost a year since the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT), the City of Detroit, and Electreon ($ELWS) launched the first wireless EV charging road in the United States.
Michigan installed Electreon wireless charging coils (seen below) on 14th Street in Detroit between Maranette and Dalzelle streets to charge EVs equipped with Electreon receivers as they drive down the street.
At that time. MDOT and Detroit officials said the road will be used to test and test Electreon's wireless EV charging technology in a real-world environment before “being made available to the public in the next few years.”
While the public can't take advantage of wireless charging yet, commercial EVs are gaining access thanks to a new partnership between Electreon, Xos ($XOS), and the State of Michigan.
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Electreon's wireless EV charging technology -
The first wireless charging street in the US debuts in Detroit's Michigan Central district on 14th Street / Source: MDOT
Michigan is emerging as a US wireless EV charging leader
When Michigan announced the first wireless EV charging road in the US last year, officials shared hopes that the Great Lakes State and the city of Detroit could be leaders in innovation and deployment of such emerging technology.
Following a press release from Electreon, the State of Michigan confirmed the details of the new partnership, which now includes commercial EV developer Xos, Inc. once. The new commercial partnership is supported by $200,000 in funding from the Michigan Mobility Funding Platform (MMFP), building on the state's “Make it in Michigan: economic strategy,” developed by the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) to invest in the region's people, places and projects.
Through the partnership and matching state funding, Electreon will expand its wireless EV charging network and use cases in Michigan. Additionally, Electreon's technology will be integrated into delivery initiatives from Xos to “demonstrate the value of wireless charging technology and its potential to lower the total cost of ownership (TCO) in commercial truck fleet electrification.” Stefan Tongur, vice president of business development at Electreon, elaborated:
We are excited to demonstrate how Electreon's technology can improve the use of electric ships and demonstrate the seamless integration of wireless charging into daily fleet operations, reducing downtime and enabling charging in time and place. We are proud to do this work in Michigan, a state that encourages innovation and sustainable transportation solutions.
In addition to expanding wireless charging on Detroit's first “electric street,” the Michigan project will enable the installation of stationary wireless charging at a UPS location in Detroit. Xos founder and CEO Dakota Semler also spoke:
We are proud to partner with Electreon and support UPS to demonstrate the power of wireless charging for commercial vessels. This new approach will revolutionize the way we power our electric vehicles and advance fleet electrification.
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