Electric roads, smarter ports: Elonroad’s step towards maritime logistics

When Karin Ebbinghaus first came across Elonroad, the idea stuck with her. “I couldn’t let go of the thought of Elonroad and the potential,” she says. Two years later, she joined the Swedish company as CEO, investing her own money and stepping in with a clear mission: to make a meaningful contribution to the energy transition. Today, she is leading Elonroad (Scouted by PortXL, a Rotterdam-based maritime accelerator, in 2025) into one of its most promising applications yet: the port sector.

Charging while driving

Elonroad has developed an intelligent charging system that allows electric vehicles to charge while driving or during operation. Built into the road surface, the system connects automatically to a pickup under the vehicle, removing the need for large battery packs, long stops, or extensive charging infrastructure. “If you can charge while driving, it just happens while you're busy doing other things,” Karin explains.

A strategic fit for port logistics

While the company initially focused on highway applications, Karin’s background in maritime law and shipping led her to see a different opportunity. “I realised that this solution can be beneficial in ports, in confined areas where you have repetitive transportation patterns and uptime is crucial,” she says. Importantly, Elonroad’s technology supports land-side port operations, not vessels, enabling electrification of terminal logistics without disrupting existing processes.
Beyond operational efficiency, the system can help reduce emissions, noise, and air pollution in and around port areas. “We’ve conducted studies together with APM Terminals and CMA CGM, showing that if you can deploy electric vehicles more consistently, it can be cheaper than diesel,” Karin notes. “And if you’re charging continuously, you avoid energy peaks, which is much better for the grid.” According to Karin, ports offer precisely the kind of environment where the Elonroad system can make a direct impact. The company is already working on projects with the Port of Long Beach in Los Angeles and the Port of Oslo, demonstrating how its technology can integrate into busy, high-demand port environments.

For Karin, what sets Elonroad apart is how it challenges the current mindset around electric vehicles. “We’re still copying the old behaviour of filling up a tank. The OEMs, the vehicle manufacturers, have removed the petrol tank and installed a battery, but everything else looks the same. You drive until it’s empty, and then you recharge,” she says. “But electrons don’t weigh anything. We can stream energy the way we stream music.”

The PortXL acceleration programme

That mindset shift is now entering the port sector. In 2025, Elonroad was scouted by PortXL, the world’s first maritime accelerator based in Rotterdam. The programme connects startups with port operators, logistics partners, public stakeholders, and academia. “We’re a growing company, and getting in front of the right people is everything,” Karin says. “PortXL is helping us do exactly that.”
While Elonroad does not yet have a physical presence or partners in Rotterdam, the company is actively looking for opportunities to demonstrate the technology in a real port environment. “It’s a chicken and egg situation,” Karin admits. “We’re quite small and need to find the right partners before we can set up locally.” And why Rotterdam? “From a European perspective, Rotterdam is the place to be. Not only is it the largest port, it’s also a gateway for innovation. If we want to demonstrate our technology, we need to start here.”
Still, the ambition is clear: start in the port, and scale from there. For Elonroad, ports offer the ideal launchpad: limited space, repetitive flows, and a growing push to electrify. “If we can start with ports and showcase that it works there, then we can expand to the logistics going into the port and the logistics coming from the manufacturers,” she explains. “It spreads from there.”

Purpose-driven Innovation with ports as launchpads

For Karin, working on a solution like this is about more than just business. “When you have kids, you feel like you need to do something that could make the world better,” she says. “Instead of just being in the normal corporate world, I wanted to be part of an impact company, a company with a purpose.” And although the work comes with challenges, from limited budgets to the complexity of shifting an entire industry, she sees the value every day. “Everything we said ten years ago would be a problem… is now a problem.”

From vision to reality, beginning in Rotterdam

Ultimately, Karin sees Elonroad’s technology as part of a broader shift toward smart, self-sustaining transport. “If you're self-driving, you need to be self-charging,” she says. “We believe Europe has an opportunity to lead the way in setting new standards for electrified mobility. And for us, that journey starts in Rotterdam.”
And if electrification is to scale smartly in Europe, Karin believes Rotterdam is the place to start.

Interested in connecting?

Elonroad may still be at the beginning of its journey into the port sector, but the ambition is clear. Karin and her team are keen to explore opportunities in and around the Port of Rotterdam.

Karin Ebbinghaus - CEO & Co-founder
Email: karin@elonroad.com
Phone: +46(0)70-3395542