A novel way of making us feel better about driving!
A new type of road that generates electricity as traffic drives over it could mean British motorists will one day become a source of cheap power, according to green breakdown provider, the Environmental Transport Association (ETA).
The Israeli engineers behind the project claim that a 1km stretch of the power-generating asphalt will generate 400 kilowatts - enough power to run 8 small cars.
If the system was installed on every stretch of British motorway, it would generate enough energy to run 34,500 small cars.
Director at the ETA, Andrew Davis said: "The government predicts a massive shift to electric cars, and it may be that roads themselves will provide some of the new fuel - certain vehicles could be powered entirely by the roads on which they drive."
"If these electric roads can be put in place without harm to the environment they would be a silver lining to the problem of heavy traffic."
The new 'electric road' will be tested next month when engineers in Israel drive over a road embedded with tiny crystals that produce energy when 'squeezed' by passing vehicles.
GBP-Keith
12 Dec 2008, 5:51 PM
Forgot to add: (not April yet is it?)
The road contains tiny piezoelectric crystals that produce electricity when squeezed. The crystals are embedded in the road itself and when a vehicle passes over them they generate a small electrical charge.
Engineers at the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology claim they can produce up to 400 kilowatts from a 1-kilometre stretch of dual carriageway - 400 kilowatts per hour is enough energy to run 8 Ford Fiestas
Malx (Guest)
6 Jan 2009, 2:56 PM
Perhaps I'm being thick, but wouldn't it be cheaper, easier and more efficient to put the crystals in the car's tyres instead?
Or maybe just make the cars more efficient in the first place etc etc.
Gosy
28 Dec 2009, 3:53 AM
Well said Malx, there is a lot of road not even touched by cars lorries etc, just a few inches depending on the breadth of the tyres. I am surprised there isnt a follow up to this thread, your idea of crystals in the tyres instead of the road makes more sense. Or... going further, they could be incorporated in the suspension system so they are squeezed with every little bump in the road??? Come on boys, lets have more input on this subject, and while we are on about cheap production of electricity, anyone remember the idea of electricity produced by heating a special material or substance?? where has that idea gone??
