Honda is taking a major step towards rewriting the rules of mobility of the future, starting trials of an innovative technology for dynamic wireless charging of electric vehicles while moving.
As part of a joint project with Japanese construction company Taisei, the brand's engineers are developing a system that allows the asphalt pavement to function as a giant mobile charging block. The dynamic wireless power transfer technology relies on specialized induction coils hidden under the road surface that transmit electricity directly to the car via an electromagnetic field while it is moving at its normal speed. To make this possible, the vehicles must be equipped with special on-board receivers that capture the energy and direct it to the battery.
The development of this ambitious project has been ongoing for five years, and now a critical phase of real-world testing is coming up. The aim of the Japanese specialists is to prove not only the efficiency of the energy transfer, but also the exceptional durability of the road infrastructure itself under intense load. To simulate harsh operating conditions, the routes will be subjected to tests corresponding to the passage of about one million heavy goods vehicles and trucks weighing in the order of 20 tons.
If this concept proves viable for mass application, it could completely change the philosophy behind owning an electric vehicle, removing the main psychological and logistical fear behind long journeys.