Smart Roads and their Feasiablity

 

Technology and Science in today's world are constantly evolving, there is no need to say that the world we have now will be totally different after 50 years in terms of advancement and modernisation. And one of the key factors that could help to achieve this, is the way how we manage our resources and energy. There are already a lot of well known and functioning ways to produce energy, but only the production can't be an optimistic way or solution to the future requirement of energy, more we need renewable resources and less consumption of it.

 Smart roads can possibly become the source of renewable energy, it shows the potential to meet the future requirement and also meet the present. The idea of smart roads is not new, it is from a while, as the name suggests smart roads, smart roads have the capability to produce the electricity that can be used for street light and also for electric vehicles, there are no. of technology that can be employed to make the smart roads such as solar slabs, piezoelectric crystals, etc. Research and reports show that smart Roads can save upto $5 billion in the USA, and the industry can reach up-to $27 billion. The world’s first solar roadway officially opened in the small town of Tourouvre-au-Perche in France in December 2016 and as the technology improves, some researchers believe the trend will take off. If it does, it could potentially save billions in energy costs over time.

  But if the idea of smart roads has so much potential and also meeting the exact demand, then why we are lacking in it's implementation. Some renewable energy experts says that, the cost it will take to get implemented is too expensive and also inefficient way, as there will not be only changes in roads but also, it would require a lot of modification of mobility as well as machinery.
 Countries are also experimenting with other innovative smart road technologies that include something often referred to as “dynamic charging of electric vehicles”.
Sweden has also opened the world’s first road that allows electric vehicles to recharge as they drive along it.