A smart road is a road that incorporates solar electricity generation technology, to improve the operation of autonomous cars, to recharge electric vehicles, to illuminate the road and to monitor the condition of the road.

An electric road, as defined by the EU Alternative Fuels Regulation, is a physical facility along a road for the transfer of electricity to an electric vehicle, while the vehicle is in motion.

Intelligent transport systems generally refer to the use of information and communication technologies (rather than innovations in road construction) in the field of road transport, including infrastructure, vehicles and users, and in traffic management and mobility management, as well as for interfaces with other modes of transport.

Photovoltaic pavement is a form of pavement that generates electricity by collecting solar energy, converting it into photovoltaic energy. Parking lots, walkways, driveways, streets and highways are places where this material could be used.

In 2013, students at George Washington University's Solar Institute installed a path of solar panels designed by Onyx Solar.

SolaRoad") is a system being developed by the Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research (TNO), Ooms Groep, Imtech and the Dutch province of North Holland. They plan to install their panels on 100 m of the cycle path in Krommenie (Netherlands) in November 2014. A variant concept of the "solar road" installed in Avenhorn, by Ooms Avenhorn Holding AV, uses asphalt and tarmac to absorb the sun's rays and heat water for use in domestic heating.

Solar Roadways in Idaho, USA, is developing a prototype system to replace current roads, parking lots and driveways with solar photovoltaic road panels that generate electricity to help everyone.