The Department of Energy has awarded a Purdue University team and Cummins, Inc., a $1.25-million grant to develop two action plans for zero-emission infrastructure along the I-80 Midwest corridor.

A team of researchers at Purdue University's Joint Transportation Research Program, including Director and engineering professor Darcy Bullock, investigated which rural areas would be the best candidates for electric vehicle chargers.

Toward the end of his second semester in first-year engineering, Ben O'Brien read a book that would change the course of his life. O'Brien came to Purdue from Nebraska with the intent to study aerospace engineering. In high school, he'd excelled in STEM but he also developed a passion for social justice.

Game changing technology for electric cars is being developed right here in Indiana. Researchers at Purdue are designing pavement that can charge an electric vehicle as it drives on it.

In this episode, host Kristin Hayes talks with Nadia Gkritza, a professor at Purdue University. Gkritza is leading a team that’s independently evaluating a new product developed by Holcim, a global building materials and concrete company, and Magment, a German startup that is developing wireless charging infrastructure for electric vehicles. The team envisions a world where electric vehicles can recharge by simply driving over magnetized concrete, eliminating the need for separate charging stations and potentially reducing the need for larger batteries to combat range anxiety. Gkritza discusses the development, implementation, and benefits of the magnetized concrete technology; the next steps for the project; the collaboration involved; and the importance of funding electric vehicle charging infrastructure.

Konstantina (Nadia) Gkritza, Professor of Civil Engineering and Agricultural and Biological Engineering, has been recognized as a Purdue University Faculty Scholar. The University Faculty Scholars Program recognizes outstanding mid-career faculty who are on an accelerated path for academic distinction.