A road in Detroit will charge an electric car while driving

An Israeli startup plans to build about one mile of pavement in Michigan that will wirelessly charge electric vehicles as drivers roll past, marking a first-of-its-kind infrastructure project in the U.S.

Electreon, based in Beit Yanai, won a contract with the state to build the charging road system near downtown Detroit, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said Tuesday. 

Electreon uses special coils embedded in pavement that send magnetic frequencies to a charging pad underneath a vehicle. Whenever an electric car cruises along that pavement or stops on the road, the battery gets charged. The approach is similar to how wireless charging pads send juice to your cell phone. The coils do not react to or harm gas-powered vehicles, according to Electreon.