Honda, Taisei develop wireless EV charging while driving, plan FY2027 expressway trial
Version 2: No substantive change: additional outlets have now reported the same October 5 announcement, adding detail on how the wireless system works and a comment from a Honda official, while the planned timing and scope of the demonstration are unchanged.
In short
Honda and the Taisei group said on October 5 that they have jointly developed base technology for wirelessly charging electric vehicles while they are moving, using power-supply equipment laid in the road. The companies plan to demonstrate the system on an expressway from fiscal 2027 onward. Sankei Shimbun named the Tateyama Expressway in Chiba Prefecture as the planned site and reported a trial estimate of a maximum instantaneous 150 kilowatts at about 80 km/h, while Nikkei reported the technology is meant to work at up to 120 km/h.
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Honda and the Taisei group said on October 5 that they have jointly developed base technology for wirelessly charging electric vehicles while they are moving, and that they plan to demonstrate it on an expressway from fiscal 2027 onward. Sankei reported that the two sides announced the development together, and Yomiuri carried a short report of the same development. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 ]
Under the system, power-supply equipment is laid in the road and transmits electricity to a vehicle as it passes. Asahi Shimbun reported the system uses the magnetic field generated between the road and the vehicle, describing it as similar to wireless charging for smartphones. Sankei reported that coils laid in the ground send power to the moving EV, and that Honda R&D developed the power-supply unit with its own technology, simplifying wiring compared with generally available systems and reducing the area that has to be buried. The Taisei group is studying how to install the system in roads and what power supply capacity it can deliver, according to Sankei. [ 2 , 3 , 4 ]
The documents give different figures for the system's performance without explaining the test conditions. Nikkei reported the technology will support up to 120 km/h, the maximum speed limit on Japanese expressways. Sankei reported a trial estimate that at about 80 km/h a vehicle could receive a maximum instantaneous 150 kilowatts during the brief time it is over a unit. Sankei named the planned trial site as the Tateyama Expressway in Chiba Prefecture; the other documents did not name a location. [ 1 , 4 ]
Honda R&D's Ueda Taku, who is in charge of the development, said the system offers “a new option of receiving power while driving,” and that if people can receive power naturally while out, it would remove worries about charging locations, times and driving range, Asahi reported. At a briefing in Tokyo, a Honda R&D official said the company aims for practical use in the logistics and transport fields, where it expects the introduction effect to be greater, according to Sankei. Tokyo Shimbun published a photo caption showing a model of the power-supply unit developed by Honda R&D, taken on the afternoon of October 5 in Minato Ward, Tokyo. [ 2 , 4 , 5 ]
The documents present charging time and limited range per charge as obstacles to EV adoption. Nikkei reported that expectations are high that charging while driving will cut the total cost of owning an EV, and that the focus is on how far the cost of laying the equipment can be held down. The documents do not give a timetable for commercialisation beyond the planned demonstration. [ 1 , 2 ]
Why it matters
If the technology is put to practical use, drivers would need to stop less often to charge, which the documents present as an improvement in EV convenience and a possible reduction in the total cost of owning one. Nikkei reported that the main question is how far the cost of laying the equipment can be held down, an issue that will shape whether the system spreads beyond a trial. The announcements come from a carmaker and a construction group, so the practical use target the documents describe is in freight and transport, where the companies see the strongest case for adoption.
Key facts
- Honda and the Taisei group announced on October 5 that they jointly developed base technology for wirelessly charging electric vehicles while they are driving. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 ]
- A demonstration is planned for fiscal 2027 or later on an expressway. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- The system transmits power from equipment laid in the ground to a moving vehicle; Asahi Shimbun described it as using the magnetic field between road and vehicle, similar to wireless smartphone charging. [ 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- Honda R&D developed the power-supply unit, simplifying wiring compared with conventional systems and reducing the area that must be buried, Sankei reported. [ 4 ]
- The Taisei group is examining construction methods for installing the system in roads and its power supply capacity, according to Sankei. [ 4 ]
- Sankei reported a trial estimate that a vehicle travelling at about 80 km/h could receive a maximum instantaneous 150 kilowatts during the brief time it is over a unit. [ 4 ]
- Nikkei reported the technology will support up to 120 km/h, the maximum speed limit on Japanese expressways. [ 1 ]
- Sankei named the planned demonstration site as the Tateyama Expressway in Chiba Prefecture. [ 4 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- Honda and the Taisei group announced on October 5 that they have jointly developed base technology for wirelessly charging electric vehicles while they are moving. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 ]
- A demonstration is planned for fiscal 2027 or later on an expressway. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- The system supplies power from equipment installed in the road to vehicles as they pass. [ 2 , 3 , 4 ]
Still unclear
- The speed range the system will cover in the demonstration: Nikkei reported support for up to 120 km/h, while Sankei reported a trial estimate at about 80 km/h. The documents give different speeds without explaining whether they refer to the same test conditions.
- The location of the demonstration: Sankei named the Tateyama Expressway in Chiba Prefecture, while the other documents did not name a site. Only one document states the site, so it is a single-source detail.
- How much it will cost to lay the road equipment. Nikkei says cost reduction is the focus and that lowering total EV cost is hoped for, but no figures are given.
- Which companies did the development work: TBS NEWS DIG said three companies — Honda, Taisei and Taisei Rotec — developed the technology, while Sankei described Honda R&D as developing the power-supply unit and the Taisei group as studying construction and power capacity. The documents describe the division of work differently.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- Nikkei reports that Honda and Taisei and others will start a demonstration of wireless charging for moving EVs on expressways in fiscal 2027 or later, supporting up to 120 km/h. [ 1 ]
- Asahi Shimbun reports the joint development and the system's mechanism, quoting Honda's Ueda Taku. [ 2 ]
- TBS NEWS DIG reports that Honda, Taisei and Taisei Rotec developed the base technology for a wireless power-supply road. [ 3 ]
- Sankei reports the October 5 announcement and the plan to run a demonstration on the Tateyama Expressway in Chiba Prefecture. [ 4 ]
- Tokyo Shimbun reports the joint development; its photo caption shows a model of the power-supply unit developed by Honda R&D in Minato Ward, Tokyo, on the afternoon of October 5. [ 5 ]
- Yomiuri Shimbun reports that Honda and Taisei Construction developed wireless power supply for charging EVs while driving. [ 6 ]