Powered by electricity from a cable buried beneath the road, the On-Line Electric Vehicle (OLEV) travels on a 1.37-mile route at Seoul Grand Park. It is one of seven shuttles at the park. The electricity is supplied to the OLEV wirelessly. It charges a battery which then delivers energy for an electric motor.

The vehicle doesn't need bulky and expensive batteries and is constantly being charged as it runs along the route embedded with power strips. The technology was developed by researchers at the country's top technology institute, the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST).

The government in Seoul has praised the OLEV's efficiency in urban traffic situations. "Thanks to its light battery and wireless recharging method, OLEV is a more affordable and effective alternative to plug-in hybrids," said one official.

If the OLEV's charging method was applied to the public bus system, KAIST says, South Korea would need to place underground charging strips beneath 20 percent of its roads in order to make the system work across the country.