Ahhh, the future is amazing (and full of crowdfunding).
But first, we need to figure out the kinks. That's where test stretches of solar-powered roadways come in. The latest, called Wattway, has been installed in France at a cost of five million euros, as previewed earlier this year. The new, energy-producing bit of road is only a kilometer long but that's enough for 2,800 square meters of panels. About 2,000 motorists are expected to use the solar road every day during the two-year test period, with the challenge being to see if the nearby town of 3,400 people will get enough energy from the road
French ecology minister Segolene Royal, pictured, was on hand to inaugurate the installation. Royal is a forward-looking minister, and has attacked Donald Trump by calling his environmental policies, "absolutely catastrophic" and once talked about France building its own EVs.
It cost €5m (£4.2m) to construct and will be used by about 2,000 motorists a day during a two-year test period to see if it can generate enough energy to power street lighting in the village of 3,400 residents, and if the costs are worth it.
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