At the beginning of 2025, an event occurred in the USA that could significantly impact the future of electric freight transportation: on a section of highway in the state of Indiana, a class 8 heavy electric truck received energy wirelessly while moving at highway speed. The project was implemented by researchers from Purdue University in collaboration with the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) and industry partners.
The technology is known as Dynamic Wireless Power Transfer (DWPT). Inductive coils are placed under the road surface, creating an electromagnetic field. A receiving coil installed under the truck receives energy without physical connection to a charging station.
According to an industry publication, during the demonstration, the truck was moving at a speed of about 65 mph (approximately 105 km/h) and received power up to 190 kW — a level comparable to high-power wired charging for commercial transport. This was reported by FreightWaves.
Key point: this was not a 'bench' experiment. Purdue University stated that a public road section near West Lafayette (Indiana) was involved.
In an official university statement (January 2025), it is noted that this is the first road segment in the US capable of wirelessly charging a heavy electric truck while driving. The publication is available on the Purdue University website.
Quote from the university's statement (January 2025): "first highway segment in the US that wirelessly charges an electric heavy-duty truck while driving" (wording provided from the official release, without extended citation).
Today, the transition of highway transportation to electric traction is hindered by three practical limitations:
- large and expensive batteries (affecting the cost of the tractor and payload);
- limited range on highway routes;
- infrastructure gap: there are currently not enough high-power charging stations for heavy transport.
The idea of 'charging on the go' theoretically alleviates some pressure from the battery: if a truck can receive energy without stopping on key corridors, vehicles can be designed with smaller batteries and more predictable charging logistics. For operators, this potentially means less downtime, and for the industry as a whole — a more realistic path to reducing emissions.
The project was developed with the support of the state government and INDOT. On INDOT's official page, the technology is described as an innovative approach to transport electrification and infrastructure development. The program's reference page is available here: Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT).
It is important to clarify: at the time of preparing the material, no public, specific statements from FMCSA about this particular test were found in official sources. This does not mean a lack of interest from regulators in the topic as a whole — rather, the project is still in the demonstration and pilot expansion stage, where the main public communicators are the university and the state.
Even with impressive results, questions remain that will determine the fate of the technology:
- Scaling and cost: building 'charging' road segments will require significant investments and planning.
- Standards and compatibility: the industry will need a coordinated standard for receiving modules and protocols so that different manufacturers can work with a single infrastructure.
- Networks and energy: with large-scale implementation, the load on power grids and connection points will become a critical factor.
Nevertheless, the very fact of stable energy transfer to a heavy truck at highway speed is a strong signal to the market: dynamic wireless charging is ceasing to be a futuristic concept and is beginning to take real form in infrastructure pilots.