Honda R&D, Taisei Corporation and Taisei Rotec Corporation have developed underlying technology for a wireless power transfer road system that can supply electricity to EVs while they are moving.

The companies are initially targeting logistics and transportation applications, including large commercial EVs, where charging time and vehicle utilization can present challenges for fleet operators. Public-road demonstration testing is planned in Japan beginning in fiscal 2027, which starts April 1, 2027.

Honda has been developing dynamic wireless power transfer, or DWPT, technology since 2021. The concept uses transmitter units embedded in the roadway and a receiver installed on the vehicle to transfer electricity without requiring the vehicle to stop and plug into a charger.

How In-Motion Charging Works

The system consists of three primary components: a ground-based DC power supply, multiple power transmitter units embedded in the roadway and a receiver installed on the vehicle.

Honda is responsible for developing the road-embedded transmitter system and vehicle receiver. Taisei is developing the DC power supply system, while Taisei Rotec is developing construction methods for installing the equipment in roadways.

The companies have been conducting research together since 2025 and have tested the technology on a dedicated roadway at Taisei Group's T-FIELD/SATTE facility.

For commercial applications, the system must be able to withstand repeated traffic from large vehicles while transferring significant amounts of power to vehicles traveling at speed.

Testing has included pavement structures designed to accommodate vehicles with a gross vehicle weight of approximately 20 tons. The transmitter units are also designed so they can be milled and embedded into existing pavement, potentially allowing the technology to be installed during road construction or resurfacing. Honda Global

Testing Up to 150 kW for Commercial EVs

Beginning in late 2026, Honda and its partners plan to construct another test roadway at T-FIELD/TAMRA.

Testing there will include a durability evaluation equivalent to 1 million wheel loads, wireless power transfer performance testing and evaluations of measures intended to limit electromagnetic field leakage.

The companies also plan to verify the system at power levels of up to 150 kW for potential use with large commercial vehicles, along with testing wireless power transfer performance for vehicles traveling at higher speeds.

The technology will then move onto public roads through the Tateyama Project, a demonstration led by East Nippon Expressway Company on the Tateyama Expressway in Chiba, Japan. Testing is scheduled to begin in fiscal 2027.

Honda said it intends to initially pursue practical applications of the technology in logistics and transportation, where supplying power while vehicles are operating could reduce reliance on stationary charging and support vehicles with high utilization and longer routes.