Researchers at the Technion Institute of Technology in Haifa have started testing a system that turns traffic into electricity on a 30 meter strip of highway near Tel Aviv. "The name of the game is harvesting," team member Haim Abramovich told Sky News. "Harvesting means energy which is available but is going to waste.
The concept, called piezo electricity, uses hundreds of little metallic crystals buried under the road that generate electricity when put under pressure. It requires many crystal pads over hundreds of meters and a high percentage of quickly moving traffic. While the concept is not new, the application is a novelty. According to Abramovich, one truck can generate 2,000 volts which could already be used to power traffic lights or street lamps. A kilometer of 'electric road' could generate enough power for 40 houses, and progress in the technology could generate enough electricity feed the national power grid.