New power source for electric cars proposed

New Scientist : Researchers in Aichi, Japan, are working on an alternative power source for electric cars. Rather than weighing down individual cars with a heavy battery, they propose electrifying the roadways. Although the idea is not new, the method is: Steel belts placed inside the tires and a metal plate in the road. Masahiro Hanazawa of Toyota Central R&D Labs and Takashi Ohira of Toyohashi University of Technology presented their work in May at the International Microwave Workshop Series on Innovative Wireless Power Transmission in Kyoto, Japan. A number of problems with the system have been raised, however, such as the high voltage that would be required to pass through the metal plates on the roadways, the large magnetic field that would be produced, and the expense of installing the necessary infrastructure.