“Arena del Futuro”: green mobility is a reality with dynamic wireless power transfer.

“Mapei considers this project to be a powerful innovative driving force for the nation in the name of sustainability. The 'Arena of the Future' is also a virtuous example of how cooperation between businesses and public institutions can contribute to mapping out a path towards increasingly green mobility and construction". - Veronica Squinzi, CEO Mapei.

“We have made available our specific skills and technologies developed in the field of additives for bituminous conglomerates and chemical products for buildings. In partnership with the university institutes involved, we have contributed to making the layers of road surfaces more durable and compatible with the presence of localised magnetic fields". - Marco Squinzi, CEO Mapei.

The construction and technical implementation of the 1,050-metre-long circuit, powered by an electrical plant of 1 MW, has in fact recently been successfully completed. From today, “Arena del Futuro” is ready to showcase the efficient innovative technology used in the field. The first vehicles powered with this system have clocked miles of testing, with very encouraging results.

The DWPT (Dynamic Wireless Power Transfer) system, used by a group of highly specialised technicians that work for the companies participating in the project, is proving to be the best option to giving immediate, concrete answers when it comes to the decarbonisation and environmental sustainability needs of the mobility sector. This technology will help speed up the ecological transition by responding to what the world requires in terms of environmental protection.

This project has been developed over three phases.  The first phase involved identifying the best technology to achieve road electrification. The second phase included the physical development of the circuit.  The third phase that is currently in progress is critical and relates to verifying the performance levels of the technologies that have been adopted. Thanks to DWPT, electric vehicles can recharge while travelling on wired lanes via an innovative loop system positioned under the asphalt. This technology can be adapted to all vehicles equipped with a special “receiver” that directly transfers the energy needed to charge and travel, creating the platform for a “zero emissions” mobility system.

Advanced connectivity using the IOT (Internet of Things), which has been studied on site will guarantee maximum road safety, allowing motorways and roads to become smarter and communicate with the vehicles travelling along them. The road surface has been designed and built to make it more durable without altering the efficiency and effectiveness of the inductive charge. Furthermore, the trial will enable the university partners to carefully evaluate the environmental advantages and economic benefits deriving from DWPT and SWPT (or static charging, tested for stationary or parked vehicles).

This creation is the first example of collaborative innovation for “zero emissions” mobility of people and goods, which today sees the collaboration of A35 Brebemi-Aleatica, ABB, Electreon, FIAMM Energy Technology, IVECO, IVECO BUS, Mapei, Pizzarotti, Politecnico di Milano, Prysmian, Stellantis, TIM, Roma Tre University, the University of Parma, Vigili del Fuoco (Fire Brigade) and Polizia Stradale (Police), taking concrete and important steps with the “Arena del Futuro”, which is now ready to initiate various test phases for this technology, recently cited by TIME magazine as one of the 100 most important inventions of 2021.