Honda Builds Road That Charges Electric Vehicles While They Drive
Honda, in collaboration with two Japanese companies, is developing new technology for wireless charging of electric vehicles while in motion. The system, designed for passenger cars and especially electric trucks, can transfer up to 150 kilowatts of power while driving.
According to Ambassador Arjan, imagine an electric car getting the energy it needs along the way without stopping at a charging station. Honda is developing technology that could make such an idea part of the transportation infrastructure of the future.
The Japanese automaker is working with Taisei and Taisei Rotec on "Dynamic Wireless Power Transfer" or DWPT technology; A system designed to transfer electricity from equipment installed on the road surface to moving electric vehicles.
The companies involved in this project plan to start demonstration tests of this technology in Japan's fiscal year 2027; Fiscal year starting on April 1, 2027.
How does the Honda wireless charging road work?
Honda's technology is based on the phenomenon of magnetic coupling. The transmitter coils are placed in or under the road surface and when a vehicle equipped with the appropriate receiver passes over them, they transmit electrical energy to the vehicle through a magnetic field.
There is also a special receiver on the side of the car that transfers the received energy to the car's electrical system and then to the battery. In this way, the car can receive part of the energy it needs without being physically connected to the cable and while it is moving.
Honda has started its research in the field of dynamic wireless power transmission since 2021, and now, by combining the technology of the three companies, it is looking to develop a system that can be used for electric passenger cars and large commercial vehicles.
Three companies develop three areas of technology
In this project, each company is responsible for a part of the technology. Honda works on high-density power transmitter and receiver units that are compatible with direct current or DC power distribution systems.
Taisei is also developing a fast-reaction DC power supply system, while Taisei Rotec provides the technology to install charging equipment in asphalt and road pavement structures.
One of the features of the new design is the combination of inverter and winding in one ground unit. This structure, according to the developers, can make high-power wireless power transmission more stable and faster, while reducing the complexity of electrical equipment installed on the road.
Special focus on 20 ton electric trucks
One of the most important goals of this project is to use wireless charging technology for heavy commercial vehicles. Electric trucks require very large batteries due to their high weight and long distances, and charging time can have a direct impact on their productivity.
Honda and its partners are investigating how much the charging equipment installed on the road and the surrounding asphalt can withstand the load caused by the passage of heavy vehicles weighing approximately 20 tons.
On the other hand, the system must be able to transmit electricity with high power and in a stable manner when the vehicle is moving at high speed. This issue is one of the main challenges of developing wireless charging roads.
The proposed system consists of three main parts: a DC power source on the side or under the road, ground units equipped with power transmitters, and an on-board assembly responsible for receiving energy.
The developers plan to investigate energy transfer at levels up to 150 kilowatts in future experiments. This level of power is especially important for possible use in heavy commercial vehicles.
If sustainable transmission of such power can be achieved, electric trucks can receive part of their energy consumption directly from the road on some high-traffic routes, thereby reducing their dependence on long stops for charging.
One of the important points in Honda's design is trying to simplify the process of installing equipment. Ground charging units can be placed in the road structure using milling and embedding methods in the existing pavement.
This capability could make the technology easier to use when building new roads or rehabilitating and resurfacing existing roads. However, the durability of the equipment against heavy traffic, weather conditions and road erosion should still be checked in long-term tests.
Testing a million wheel passes
The next important phase of the project is the construction of a dedicated test road, which is scheduled to be built in late 2026.
Honda and its partners intend to check the durability of the system in conditions equivalent to about one million wheel passes in this test track. In addition to durability testing, wireless energy transfer performance and issues such as the possibility of leakage of electromagnetic fields will also be evaluated.
These tests are of great importance, because the charging equipment on the road must be exposed to the weight and pressure of multiple vehicles for a long time and at the same time be able to maintain its electrical performance.
Moving on to testing on public roads
After the controlled tests, Honda and its partners plan to test the technology in real road conditions. Demonstration tests on public roads are planned from Japan's 2027 fiscal year onwards.
These companies also plan to participate in a project called Tateyama; A project to test dynamic wireless power transmission pursued by East Nippon Expressway Corporation on the Tateyama Expressway in Chiba Prefecture, Japan.
Running the test in the real environment can provide important information about the performance of the system against traffic, weather conditions, different speeds and continuous use of the infrastructure.
Can charging roads reduce the size of car batteries?
One of the most important possible consequences of this technology is a change in the way electric cars are designed. Currently, increasing the range of electric vehicles usually means using larger and heavier batteries.
But if the car can get the energy it needs from the road in parts of the route, the need to use very large batteries may be reduced. This can lead to a reduction in vehicle weight and a more efficient use of battery capacity.
This idea is even more important for electric trucks. Heavy commercial vehicles need large batteries to travel long distances, and stopping to charge can reduce their operating time. A road that can transfer energy to the truck as it moves can reduce both battery capacity issues and downtime to some extent.
The technology is still in development
Despite the technology's promise, wireless charging roads have yet to reach the stage of widespread use. Creating such an infrastructure requires significant investment, redesigning parts of the roads, coordination with the power grid, and developing technical and safety standards.
It should also be determined how much the cost of installing and maintaining charging equipment on the road will be compared to its benefits for users and transport operators.
However, the public road test program in 2027 could be one of the most important steps to turn the idea of dynamic wireless charging from a laboratory technology to part of the real transportation infrastructure.
Honda, in collaboration with Taisei and Taisei Rotec, is developing a technology that could change the concept of electric vehicle charging. In this plan, instead of the car stopping to receive energy, the equipment installed on the road transfers electricity to the car while moving.
The test of power transmission up to 150 kW, the durability test equivalent to one million wheel passes, the test of commercial vehicles weighing about 20 tons and the start of demonstration tests on public roads from fiscal year 2027, show that the project has entered a more serious stage of development.
If future tests are successful, wireless charging roads could be particularly useful for trucks and high-traffic fleets, paving the way for electric vehicle development by reducing the need for long stops to charge. However, widespread commercialization of this technology still depends on solving the challenges of cost, durability, safety and infrastructure development.