Honda is building asphalt that charges electric cars while driving

The whole operation is a joint project between Honda and construction giant Taisei Corporation, targeting roads that beam electricity directly into moving vehicles without a single plug. And this isn't just aimed at petite city hatchbacks: the hardware is engineered to juice up heavy-duty electric trucks weighing up to 20 tons while cruising along the highway.

Under the pavement, the Wireless Power Transfer system splits into three interconnected components. There is a direct-current ground station, an array of wireless transmitters embedded directly beneath the asphalt, and an induction coil receiver attached to the car's underbelly. While Honda built the receiver hardware on the vehicle side, Taisei took on the unenviable task of figuring out how to lay boiling road surface over delicate electronics without destroying them.

Real-world public road trials are scheduled to begin in Japan during the fiscal year starting April 2027. The engineering teams plan to test transmission efficiency, measure electromagnetic energy leakage at highway speeds, and monitor how the electrified pavement survives brutal real-world wear before demonstrating prototypes at upcoming expos in Japan and South Korea.

Transforming ordinary highways into giant smartphone charging pads sounds gloriously futuristic until municipal budgets enter the chat. Either society is stumbling into an era of zero range anxiety, or taxpayers are about to encounter the most expensive pothole repairs in automotive history.

Source: global.honda