A Japanese automobile manufacturer has built a wireless charging system into roads that charges electric vehicle (EV) batteries while driving, eliminating the need to stop at a charging station.
The new system, named dynamic wireless power transfer (DWPT) technology, was introduced by Honda earlier this month after nearly five years. Since 2021, the company has been working on building the wireless technology to supply power to vehicles while in motion.
Honda partnered with two construction companies, Taisei Corporation and Taisei Rotec, to create a system that can charge battery-electric vehicles, from smaller vehicles to larger commercial fleets. However, in the first phase, the company would focus on the logistics and transportation industries.
The technology is expected to work like a giant wireless phone charger built into the road. It has three main components that work together to wirelessly transfer electricity to moving electric vehicles.
A ground-based DC power supply is the first component of the system. It delivers electricity to a network of embedded charging units.
The second is the Ground Assembly (GA), a series of wireless charging pads installed beneath the road surface and connected by DC power cables. These perform the function of transmitting the power to a compatible vehicle.
As a compatible electric vehicle drives over these pads, they generate a magnetic field that transfers electricity without physical contact.
To ensure vehicle compatibility, the company has introduced the third component, called the Vehicle Assembly (VA). It is a power receiver mounted underneath the carriage, similar to the receiving coil inside a wireless-charging smartphone.
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