The Pennsylvania Turnpike will set up a demonstration project at its Middletown headquarters to test a variety of methods to charge electric vehicles using parking spaces.
The agency said Monday it has issued a request for proposals from businesses interested in developing, installing and supporting an Inductive Charging Showcase at its Central Administration Building. The project would use up to 20 parking spaces to test various systems to charge vehicles with equipment buried under the surface of a parking lot or road.
The showcase is an outgrowth of a request for information late last year on how to proceed with the turnpike’s plan to test charging using parking spaces. The testing will involve various types of equipment tested with asphalt and concrete surfaces to determine what works best.
“We are excited to partner with technology leaders to reinforce the Pennsylvania Turnpike’s commitment to sustainability and innovation,” CEO Mark Compton said in a news release. “Today’s announcement builds on the Pennsylvania Turnpike’s goals of accelerating mobility and understanding charging systems to better support customers’ needs and the growing demand for electric vehicles.”
The charging study is the first direct step in the turnpike’s plan to expand vehicle charging options across the state. It will use the information obtained from the showcase to develop a joint project with the Ohio Turnpike and the University of Utah to electrify a section of the two turnpikes that straddles the border near Sharon so drivers can choose to recharge their vehicle while they are driving.
The Pennsylvania Turnpike also wants to use a portion of the Mon-Fayette Expressway under construction between Jefferson Hills and Duquesne as another demonstration project for charging while driving. That is expected to be part of the final part of the highway, which will be under construction until 2028.
Keith Jack, the turnpike’s director of facilities operation and co-chair of its Sustainability Committee, noted that electric vehicle use and technology are growing but the vehicles can’t drive the 565-mile roadway without recharging.
“Not every vehicle is going to be electric 20 years from now, but a growing number will be,” Jack said. “This project provides the background and knowledge to help make our roadway as efficient possible for our customers.”
The turnpike has taken other steps such as installing solar fields at some locations as part of its goal of reaching energy independence by 2040.
Ed covers transportation at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, but he's currently on strike. Email him at eblazina@unionprogress.com.