Revolution on the A6: Inductive charging for electric cars starts!

Revolution on the A6: Inductive charging for electric cars starts!

On June 6, 2025, a significant milestone was reached in the E|MPOWER project. A test track for inductive charging of electric vehicles was set up on the A6 motorway in the direction of Nuremberg, near the Oberpfälzer Alb Nord service area. This pioneering project is led by the Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg (FAU), in particular by the Chair of Manufacturing Automation and Production Systematics (FAPS).

Partners in the project are the Autobahn GmbH des Bundes, VIA IMC, Electreon, Risomat and the TH Nuremberg. On the occasion of the start of the project, the Bavarian State Minister Markus Blume and Joachim Herrmann gave the official starting signal for the test track. This will be several hundred meters long and will enable inductive charging while driving.

Innovative inductive charging technology

Dynamic inductive charging technology uses coils installed in the road surface. These create a magnetic field that allows vehicles with special counter-coils to be charged while driving. This method aims to solve electric vehicle range issues and is designed to only interact with equipped vehicles. In addition, the induction coils are safe and meet international safety standards for magnetic fields.

The necessary coils are currently being integrated into the road surface. This is followed by technical tests to check the installation. The first driving tests are planned for the second half of 2025, which further increases the anticipation of this innovation in electromobility.

The charging infrastructure of the future

In the context of the project, the discussion about the charging infrastructure in Germany also becomes clear. In the coalition agreement, the SPD, Greens and FDP aim to make Germany the lead market for electromobility. Planned goals include 15 million fully electric cars and one million public charging points by 2030. However, there is a lack of clarity regarding specific implementation concepts.

Economics and Climate Protection Minister Robert Habeck emphasizes the importance of the innovation bonus for electric vehicles, but would like to align the funding more closely with climate protection from 2024. A national charging infrastructure control center coordinates the expansion, but cannot provide any details about future funding programs. The revised charging infrastructure master plan focuses on empowering communities, activating suitable areas and simplifying the charging process.

Currently only 300 new charging points are being installed per week in Germany, while around 2,000 are needed to support the growth trend of electromobility. As of January 2022, there were over 52,000 public charging points, of which 7,717 were fast charging points. The Central Association of Electrical Engineering and Electronics Industry (ZVEH) is calling for a stronger focus on private charging infrastructure, as 80% of charging processes take place in private households.

The discussion makes it clear that dynamic expansion goals and stable framework conditions are necessary. A reduction in bureaucracy and the standardization of technical conditions must not be neglected in order to advance the expansion of the charging infrastructure. In view of the study by the National Charging Infrastructure Control Center, the share of charging processes in private infrastructure could increase to up to 88% by 2030.

The E|MPOWER project is not just a technical advance in the field of electromobility, but part of a larger context that will play a decisive role in shaping the future charging infrastructure in Germany. Further information about developments in the field of electromobility can be found at fau.de, ecomento.de and deutsche-handwerks-zeitung.de.