Japan tests roads for EV wireless charging with 2025 goal – EQ Mag Pro
Embedded coils from Obayashi and Denso power cars while they drive
TOKYO : Japanese construction group Obayashi and auto parts supplier Denso have started testing road pavement designed to power electric vehicles while they drive, aiming to have practical technology in 2025, Nikkei has learned.
At Obayashi’s research center in Tokyo, a small EV was able to run almost continuously at 15 kilometers an hour on a course with uninterrupted lines of electrical coils embedded beneath the surface.
Driverless buses that operate around the clock would be a primary application for this technology. Wireless power could eliminate the need for large batteries and extend the driving range of EVs — one of the most important factors in how quickly they become mainstream.
The technology uses magnetic field induction, in which electricity fed into the coils within the road produces a current in coils installed in the EV.
Obayashi’s fiber-reinforced concrete, which boosts the durability of the pavement, allows the road coils to be installed near the surface for maximum effect. Toyota Motor affiliate Denso is working on the performance of the coils and power source.
Similar technology is being tested by other auto players in Europe.
Installing electrical coils beneath pavement will lead to power transmission loss, making this technology less efficient in charging an EV compared with using an electrical cord. Construction costs are also likely to be higher than for conventional streets.
The partners will collect data from tests at Obayashi’s closed course through March to determine how the technology performs on a real street.
Obayashi also is partnering with Japanese cable maker Furukawa Electric to install electric and internet cables along roadsides to provide recharging and communication for EVs and autonomous vehicles. This infrastructure is expected to help bring both types of autos into the mainstream.
Source: asia
