Purdue dynamic wireless charging project earns Indiana innovation award
A Purdue-led project that wirelessly charges moving electric trucks has received a major state honor. Drive Clean Indiana named the Dynamic Wireless Power Transfer (DWPT) project the Innovative Project of the Year. Steven Pekarek, Dr. Edmund O. Schweitzer, III, Professor in Purdue’s Elmore Family School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, accepted the award on March 11, 2026, in Indianapolis during the 2026 Breakfast of Champions, part of Work Truck Week.
The project, which is part of a pilot effort established under the NSF ASPIRE Research Center, involves close collaboration with Cummins and INDOT. It focuses on technology that could enable electric vehicles to charge directly from the roadway rather than stopping at charging stations.
“It’s an honor to accept this award on behalf of the entire team,” said Pekarek. “This project represents years of hard work and collaboration, and it’s exciting to see that effort recognized as we continue exploring new ways to make electric transportation more efficient and more practical.”
Last year, Purdue engineers demonstrated the system's success on a quarter-mile stretch of highway in West Lafayette. There, a roadway wirelessly charged a heavy-duty electric truck traveling at highway speeds. This test marked the first instance in the United States where such a system charged a heavy-duty truck in motion at highway speed.
The recognition from Drive Clean Indiana showcases both the technology itself and the partnership behind it.
The Purdue team brought together expertise from electrical and computer engineering and civil engineering to tackle a complex real-world challenge: safely and efficiently delivering large amounts of power to moving vehicles through pavement.
In addition to Pekarek, Purdue ECE team members include Dionysios Aliprantis, Aaron Brovont, and Rob Swanson. Additional Purdue collaborators are Nadia Gkritza and John Haddock from the Lyles School of Civil and Construction Engineering.
The project involves close collaboration with Cummins and INDOT, and demonstrates the type of academic, industry, and public-sector partnership needed to advance next-generation transportation systems.
By allowing trucks to charge while driving, the technology could eventually help reduce battery size, cut downtime, and lower costs for commercial electric vehicles. Researchers also see long-term potential for electrified roadways to support other types of vehicles.
The award adds to recognition for the DWPT project, which is helping position Purdue and its partners at the forefront of transportation electrification.