As prices drop and availability increases, some of the last road blocks to mass adoption of electric vehicles is range anxiety and charging times. But a prototype test track in Italy solves both of those issues by borrowing the same technology that makes it easy to charge your smartphone without wires.

Although the earliest EVs were often recommended for shorter daily commutes or city driving because of their limited range, there are now many options promising well over 300 to 400 miles of travel before the vehicle’s batteries need a charge. But what still complicates a long road trip in an EV is that even the fastest charging stations require at least half an hour to replenish rechargeable batteries, and usually much longer than that depending on the range of the vehicle. Compare that to filling up a tank with gasoline, which takes just a couple of minutes, and it makes sense why some drivers are still hesitant to go electric.

Ranges and charging times will inevitably improve over time, but other companies are looking […]