Denso has introduced a new EV charging technology for wireless power transfer devices to automatically charge EV batteries when stationary or on the move.
Keisuke Tani and Nobuhisa Yamaguchi are electrification systems engineers.
Tani said: “As for how the technology will work, the principle is as same as that of wireless charging for smartphones today. The charging devices are embedded in the road, and they provide electricity to vehicles when they pass over or halt on the devices. The underlying mechanism is very simple. The key point is to limit the charging points by coordinating infrastructure and mobility to minimize energy consumption.
“Sophisticated system control is required to develop this type of technology. As a major supplier of control technology, Denso can coordinate the complex mechanisms as one system. We possess deep knowledge and experience in the field of mobility-product control technologies, so we can build systems that effectively coordinate mobility with infrastructure.”
Yamaguchi said: “By installing electric power charging systems in these locations, we can expand the potential uses of automated guided vehicles (AGVs) and greatly improve task automation and efficiency. Looking further into the future, automated mobility will be active not only in factories but throughout towns and cities as well. In such a world, it is not practical to charge a wide variety of electric mobilities with power cables. Seamless charging system such as dynamic wireless power transfer is essential to realize the mobility society described by CASE (Connected, Autonomous, Shared & Electric).”
Their involvement in this project led to them ‘thinking outside the box of gasoline vehicles’. They wanted to think this way because until now, EV technology development has focused on achieving a similar performance and driving feel to conventional combustion-powered vehicles to tempt motorists towards greener personal transport.
While still in the Proof of Concept (POC) development phase, Denso has begun the social experiment of collaborative industry-academia demonstration testing, based on an open innovation approach.
In 2025, the company plans to start practical applications of the technology in compact mobility systems within its own global manufacturing plants.
This technology is expected to work particularly well with vehicles that serve distribution centres, plants and other facilities that operate nonstop throughout the day.