That requires ownership of property. There are plenty of people that, say, rent a basement of a suburban home, park on the street and the owner is not inclined to install solar or provide convenient access to charging. Of course it won't help much but it does.
Running out over the pavement to the cars in the street? With infrastructure to handle the problem of residents not necessarily being able to park in front of the buildings they live in.
However, more permanent infrastructure would be buried below the paving. This already happens, BTW. Cities need infrastructure, that's just the fact of it. 21st century infrastructure will include fast internet and vehicle charging.
I am sceptical. At least around here I strongly doubt that it'd even be legal to run that thing (or several of those things) across the pavement. Pavements are for walking, prams, wheelchairs and whatnot that would be obstructed. I might be wrong there though.
I'm not arguing against the idea that such infrastructure would be good. I'm just saying that a private person renting an apartment in a city can not reasonably be expected to slap solar panels on the roof of the building they don't own, illegally run cables over the pavement they don't own to their cars that may or may not be possible to park near the building they live in.
To them, a car that "charges itself", even significantly less efficiently, may indeed be a better solution.
The first picture shows the cable with protector, that a neighbour uses. It's not in use but you get the idea.
The second shows more permanent infrastructure - a charging port built into a lamp post. Picture taken across the road from the first. Note the logo of https://www.ubitricity.com/ and instruction sign. Sometimes I see new model LEVC taxis plugged in there.
Exactly my situation, I rent an apartment in the city with street parking, for me this would be the perfect solution, why not, I don't need any more range, the flexibility is much more important.
