<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A new electrified stretch of road outside of Stockholm’s </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Arlanda airport </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">is specially outfitted with </span><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/apr/12/worlds-first-electrified-road-for-charging-vehicles-opens-in-sweden"><span style="font-weight: 400;">a charging rail</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> that runs 1.2 miles and provides vehicles with a power boost. Energy is </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">transferred from the rail to the vehicle via a movable arm that attaches to the bottom of a vehicle. The road is powered only when a vehicle is charging on it. When the vehicle stops, the arm and current disconnects. The system calculates the vehicle’s energy consumption, and the electricity cost is debited per vehicle and user. It’s also safe for any people or animals that might cross.</span></p><p><div data-conversation-spotlight=""></div></p><p><span style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="fbb729a9af016244eab8f0fbaefe3e15"><iframe type="lazy-iframe" data-runner-src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/VZNHZnyxCm8?rel=0" width="100%" height="auto" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;"></iframe></span></p><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/apr/12/worlds-first-electrified-road-for-charging-vehicles-opens-in-sweden"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Hans Säll, chief executive of the eRoadArlanda consortium behind the project, </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">said</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">,</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> “There is no electricity on the surface. There are two tracks, just like an outlet in the wall. Five or six centimeters down is where the electricity is. But if you flood the road with salt water then we have found that the electricity level at the surface is just one volt. You could walk on it barefoot.”</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The road is the first in the world like it, and a test project to see how feasible the system would be for broader use in the country. Right now, the primary user is an 18-ton PostNord truck that delivers cargo to and from the airport. If the project is deemed a success, Säll envisions the system becoming a part of more of Sweden’s roads as the country works to meet its target of achieving independence from fossil fuel by 2030.</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Meanwhile, in other parts of the world, </span><a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2018/03/02/why-electric-charging-infrastructure-will-prove-crucial-to-the-future-of-driving.html"><span style="font-weight: 400;">a more conventional charging infrastructure</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> is taking shape.</span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In Canada, a new </span><a href="https://electrek.co/2018/04/27/canadian-cities-new-curbside-electric-car-charging-network-urban-ev-driving/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">curbside charging network</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> is rolling out with chargers that can serve two cars at once. The system is targeted at apartment-dwelling drivers who don’t have a home charging option.</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">BP Ventures has invested $5 million in FreeWire Technologies, a U.S. company that specializes in mobile electric vehicle rapid charging systems. BP plans to use the units at a selection of BP retail sites in the U.K. and Europe this year. Germany is installing 350 charging stations across the country this year. </span><a href="https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/news/walmart-vw-electrify-america-ev-charging-station/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Walmart is teaming up with Volkwagen’s Electrify America</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> project to bring fast-charging stations to 100 Walmart parking lots by June 2019.</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"The expansion of Walmart's electric vehicle charging facilities with our ultra-fast-charging systems will provide consumers with a quick and convenient way to charge their vehicles in the time it takes to make their Walmart purchases," said Mark McNabb, president and CEO of Electrify America. </span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Not to be outdone by Walmart, </span><a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/autos/news/electrify-america-target-ev-fast-charging-station-expansion-article-1.3951829"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Target has also partnered to Electrify America</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> to add 100 charging stations to its stores. The company plans to add 600 chargers within the next two years.</span></p><p><span style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="4c1c651a3b3a8965ed21a904cc5939ab"><iframe type="lazy-iframe" data-runner-src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/VGe2u8PQ-10?rel=0" width="100%" height="auto" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;"></iframe></span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Electrify America was formed as part of VW’s reparations efforts after news reports revealed that VW falsified emissions information. As part of its settlement for the “Dieselgate” scandal, Volkswagen must invest $2 billion over the next ten years into electric vehicles. The company says 2,000 stations will be operational or under construction at 484 sites in 17 metropolitan areas and on highways in 39 states by the end of 2019 as part of its Cycle One infrastructure investment.</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">And then there is Tesla. </span><a href="http://www.thedrive.com/tech/20245/porsche-vws-electrify-america-to-surge-electric-car-charging-past-teslas-superchargers"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The company’s “Supercharger” network</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> of fast-charging stations serve only Teslas, which have a proprietary charging plug. With 400 stations in the US and 1,200 around the world, Tesla serves its customers in style; some of these stations include a coffee bar and a play area for kids.</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The idea behind all of these charging options is that getting a fill of energy can be time spent more pleasantly and productively than just standing around watching the tank fill up. We could be driving, playing, eating, or catching up on some reading while we get a recharge. In other words, EVs are not just changing the way our driving habits impact the environment, they are changing the way we behave when the “tank” gets low. </span></p>
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