On-the-Go Electric Vehicle Charging Being Tested in Japan

A new electric vehicle (EV) pilot project is being launched in Japan, testing wireless charging tech in the city of Kashiwa-no-ha, near Tokyo.

The project is being undertaken by a joint research group from the University of Tokyo, Chiba University and nine companies including Bridgestone, Mitsui Fudosan, ROHM and NSK.

Under the project, the group will be testing an “in-motion power supply system,” which wirelessly charges EVs as they pass through traffic intersections. According to the group, a 10-second charge will enable a typical electric car to travel 0.6 miles.

The charging system, developed by Professor Hiroshi Fujimoto and Associate Professor Osamu Shimizu of the Graduate School of Frontier Sciences at the University of Tokyo, leverages power transmission coils embedded in the road’s surface at key intervals, such as right before traffic lights where cars are either stationary or moving at a slower pace.

Credit: Kashiwa-no-ha Smart City

The system is also equipped with sensors to detect when cars are close by, allowing the coils to turn on and off when they’re needed and thereby avoiding energy waste.

The tech is hoped to alleviate range anxiety and problems with a lack of EV infrastructure, both factors currently hindering widespread uptake of the vehicles. 

“This social experiment will make a major contribution to curbing the progress of global warming by realizing a low-carbon road transportation system,” the companies said in a joint press release. “Based on the results of this demonstration experiment, we will promote the development of an even more advanced on-the-go power supply system, with the aim of quickly realizing the implementation of on-the-go power supply society.”

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The project is set to begin in October and run until March 2025.

The scheme comes as part of the research group’s efforts to make Kashiwa-no-ha a leading smart city, with the region fast becoming a hub for testing smart mobility solutions. 

According to Mitsui Fudosan, the city provides the potential to develop a range of technological innovations including “city-based demonstration fields, test circuits to support the development of robots and drones…[and] data platforms for enriching lifestyles based on data from people and neighborhoods.” 

“Kashiwa-no-ha Smart City has been promoting urban development through a public-private-academia collaboration for nearly 20 years with the objective of shaping the future vision of the world,” said Kazunori Yamashita, Mitsui Fudosan’s general manager. “Now, in order to create healthy neighborhoods and neighborhoods that generate innovation, we are undertaking various measures such as collaborations with academia and companies, data utilization, and area management…I firmly believe that…Kashiwa-no-ha Smart City will develop into a world-class smart city.”