Generating power from the roads

As scientists and companies work on cleaning up cars, there’s also a team developing new technology along a road in rural Georgia in the United States, with the aim of making a truly sustainable highway. The Ray, an 18-mile stretch of road near the Alabama border, is a “living laboratory” where eco-friendly projects are being tested. It’s got pollination gardens, a tyre-monitoring system to help reduce fuel consumption and solar panels embedded in a section of the road. A large solar installation also generates power and revenue, helping to reduce carbon emissions and encourage investment.
We meet the team behind the project and explore whether cleaner roads can be rolled out elsewhere in the United States and further afield.

Presenter: Harriet Noble
Reporter: Nicola Kelly

Photo caption: An electric vehicle’s battery gets charged at a station along The Ray
Photo credit: The Ray C. Anderson Foundation