California’s first wireless charging roadway is coming to UCLA thanks to a state grant that will help support electric transit projects at the university.
The $19.85 million grant, awarded to UCLA’s Events and Transportation program, will support the installation of inductive charging coils below the road along transit routes on Charles E. Young Drive, roughly between the Westwood Plaza intersection and Murphy Hall, about 3/4 of a mile long.
The installation will allow electric passenger shuttles and heavy-duty buses to charge wirelessly while the vehicle drives.
The project follows the deployment of the nation’s first public electric vehicle-charging roadway, which launched in November 2023 in Detroit, Michigan.
The grant will also support building a new transit hub between the UCLA bus depot and the planned UCLA/Westwood station. The hub will directly connect with L.A. Metro’s D Line light rail extension, the first direct rail connection from downtown Los Angeles to Beverly Hills, Century City, and Westwood.
The new transit hub is expected to open in 2028, just in time for the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
“The new transit hub and extension will be a game-changer for connectivity in Westwood,” said Clinton Bench, director of UCLA Fleet and Transit. “It will make it easier for everyone to travel between UCLA and key destinations throughout Los Angeles, especially as the city prepares to host the Olympics, thereby fostering a more integrated and accessible urban landscape.”
The money will also support the expansion of UCLA’s Bruin Bus fleet to 100% electric. The bus route links the Westwood Village commercial district, Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, academic buildings, and many other university facilities. It also connects passengers to other transit agencies.
UCLA is partnering with Electreon, a company that develops and provides wireless charging systems for electric vehicles and CalStart, a nonprofit dedicated to accelerating clean transportation, on the projects.
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