Japanese construction company Obayashi Corporation has begun testing of the new system of road infrastructure at the Technical Research Center in Kiyose City, Tokyo in collaboration with various partners from outside the construction industry. The company will conduct experiments to develop technologies for supplying electricity to electric vehicles while idling and driving, as well as technologies for ensuring communications for using network services.

The project “e-MoRoad” was named as an ideal road and mobility infrastructure that contributes to solving social issues such as carbon neutrality and wellbeing. Unlike conventional roads, which are designed only for cars to drive on, e-MoRoad aims to create a new infrastructure that enables people and goods to move freely and comfortably.

The company is collaborating with Denso, Furukawa Electric, Nagoya University, and others to conduct demonstration experiments. The project includes: (1) road pavement technology for non-contact power charging to EVs in motion; (2) technology for building power and information networks on roads; (3) road infrastructure technology to support automated driving; and (4) a new road infrastructure technology that will support the development of the MaaS system.

For the demonstration of non-contact power supply to EVs, the power supply panels will be protected by "Universalcrete," a fiber-reinforced concrete developed by Obayashi Corporation. In order to ensure the efficiency of the power supply, the panels will be buried in a shallow layer close to the road surface. By supplying power while the vehicle is in motion, the technology can reduce the amount of recharging work, extend the driving distance, and reduce the size of on-board storage batteries. (2022/09/27)