Toyota’s Wireless Charging Station Goes into Testing

Toyota has announced it will begin testing a wireless charging system in Japan that will allow plug-in hybrids and pure electric vehicles to recharge without a physical connection. The Toyota system uses magnetic resonance technology to deliver 2 kilowatts of power and should be able to fully charge a battery in about 90 minutes. Toyota has paired the system with an in-car system that aids the driver in aligning the car properly with the wireless transmission coil.

Building out the infrastructure to support regular travel with plug-in hybrids and pure electric vehicles remains a challenge, as we learned when we discussed Ford’s programs in this area. It will be interesting to see if a wireless charging station standard is eventually adopted and how that will affect the creation of that infrastructure.