Honda is developing technology that could allow electric vehicles to recharge while driving, potentially reducing the need to stop at conventional charging stations.

The Japanese manufacturer has joined construction companies Taisei Corporation and Taisei Rotec to develop a wireless charging system that places power-transmitting equipment beneath the road surface. Honda has been researching the broader technology since 2021.

Rather than plugging in, a compatible EV would receive electricity wirelessly from equipment embedded in the road as it passes overhead. Honda says the technology could eventually work with vehicles ranging from passenger cars to large commercial trucks.

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The concept could reduce how often EV drivers need to stop for charging, while potentially allowing vehicles to use smaller batteries because they could receive additional energy during a journey.

Honda is initially concentrating on commercial transport and logistics, where vehicles travel predictable routes and can spend long periods on the road.

One challenge is making the equipment tough enough to survive beneath busy roads. Testing has therefore included pavement designed to withstand repeated use by commercial vehicles weighing around 20 tonnes.

The system uses a series of power-transmitting units installed beneath the road, matched to a receiver fitted to the vehicle. Honda says the design has also been developed so equipment can be installed in existing roads and more easily replaced or upgraded later.

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A new test road is scheduled to be built in Japan from late 2026, where durability, wireless charging performance and electromagnetic leakage will be assessed. Testing will simulate one million wheel loads using actual vehicles.

Honda and its partners will subsequently test charging outputs of up to 150kW and assess whether the system can reliably transfer power to vehicles travelling at higher speeds.

The technology is then scheduled to move onto public roads from Japan’s 2027 fiscal year. Honda, Taisei and Taisei Rotec will participate in a trial on the Tateyama Expressway in Chiba Prefecture.

For now, the technology remains experimental, with no timetable announced for widespread commercial use.

Front three-quarter view of a purple Honda car driving along a city street, with trees and a modern building in the background, headlights on as it speeds by.
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