“It’s significantly cheaper for us to invest money in infrastructure than build out all these vehicles with long-range batteries.”

On two short stretches of road near downtown Detroit, Michigan transportation officials hope to make history.

Over the next two years, they plan to embed technology in the pavement that can charge electric vehicles while they’re being driven. The wireless system will be the first U.S. test of so-called inductive charging on public roadways, according to the Michigan Department of Transportation.

“We’re the auto capital. We continue to push technology advancements,” said Michele Mueller, a senior project manager at the agency.