Importance

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Abstract

A roadway-powered electric vehicle system includes: (1) an all-electric vehicle; and (2) a roadway network over which the vehicle travels. The all-electric vehicle has one or more onboard energy storage elements or devices that can be rapidly charged or energized with energy obtained from an electrical current, such as a network of electromechanical batteries. The electric vehicle further includes an on-board controller that extracts energy from the energy storage elements, as needed, and converts such extracted energy to electrical energy used to propel the electric vehicle. The energy storage elements may be charged while the vehicle is in operation. The charging occurs through a network of power coupling elements, e.g., coils, embedded in the roadway. As the vehicle passes over such power coupling elements as it is driven on the roadway network, electrical current is inductively coupled to corresponding onboard power coupling elements, e.g., coils, and used to charge the onboard energy storage devices. The roadway network need only be energized with the power coupling elements at strategic locations. The roadway network may comprise existing roadways and highways that have been modified to include the embedded power coupling elements, e.g., coils.

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First Claim