22/12/2025
İhsan Sadati
Sabancı University Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Industrial Engineering Program
Why optimizing in-motion wireless charging matters for future EV mobility
Electrification is transforming mobility, but charging remains a practical constraint. Even when public charging networks expand, vehicles still need to stop, wait, and manage uncertainty about availability and charging time. For commercial fleets, urban distribution, public transport, and long-haul logistics, these interruptions translate directly into higher cost and lower service reliability.
Electric Road Systems (ERS) offer a different paradigm: instead of moving energy to a stationary vehicle, ERS delivers energy to a moving vehicle. The most transformative vision is dynamic wireless charging, where vehicles receive energy in-motion. By turning selected road segments into ‘charging lanes’ ERS can extend effective driving range without lengthy stops and can support high-utilization fleets.
ERS is often discussed in three main technology families: (i) conductive charging via rails in the road surface, (ii) inductive (wireless) charging, and (iii) overhead conductive systems, particularly for heavy vehicles. Among these, inductive ERS is especially attractive for urban environments because it enables hands-free charging without exposed conductors. However, wireless transfer efficiency depends on factors such as alignment, speed, and power electronics, which makes planning and control essential.
If implemented strategically, dynamic wireless charging can reduce range anxiety and, importantly, change how we size batteries. A vehicle that can recharge in-motion may not require an oversized battery designed for worst-case distance between chargers. Smaller batteries can lower vehicle cost, reduce weight, and improve energy efficiency. At the system level, ERS corridors can help electrify demanding operations where frequent stops are undesirable, such as time-sensitive delivery routes or high-frequency shuttle services.
Yet the key question is not only ‘Can we charge wirelessly on the road?’ but ‘How do we use it optimally?’ Wireless charging infrastructure is inherently selective: only some segments can be electrified, power availability can vary, and multiple vehicles may compete for capacity. This creates a planning problem that blends routing with energy management: vehicles must decide where to drive, which charging segments to use, and how to maintain a safe state-of-charge while respecting service requirements (e.g., delivery time windows).
From an optimization perspective, ERS turns classic routing into an energy-aware decision problem. A route that is slightly longer in distance may be preferable if it provides reliable in-route wireless charging and lowers the risk of battery depletion. Moreover, the ‘best’ strategy may involve choosing speeds or departure times that improve wireless charging efficiency, or coordinating a fleet so that limited charging lanes are used without causing congestion.
These decisions matter not only for fleet operators but also for infrastructure planners and policy makers. ERS deployment requires investment, roadway integration, and coordination with the electric grid. In return, it can provide a pathway to decarbonizing mobility and improving operational reliability, particularly when combined with smart grid management and renewable energy integration. In that sense, optimizing dynamic wireless charging is as important as building the infrastructure itself.
In our recent research, we focus on building decision-support methods that link ERS technology to implementable routing and planning tools. Many of these questions, especially the optimization of dynamic wireless charging usage under real operational constraints are being addressed within our recently supported TÜBİTAK 3501 project.
