Many new vehicles come with a wireless charging pad that lets people charge their smartphones without a cord. But what if you could do the same thing for an entire car? Drivers worldwide are on the verge of finding out. Automakers, independent companies, and research firms are working diligently to develop wireless EV charging technology, representing the next step in replenishing electric batteries.
It’s hard to imagine that widespread wireless EV charging could beat the much-hyped national charging network to the punch. But even before the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) published its first set of standards for wireless EV power transfer in 2020, the idea was catching on worldwide. Is wireless EV charging all it’s made out to be? We’re here to answer that question, look at some of the major companies behind the technology, and review a few breakthroughs along the way.
How Wireless EV Charging Works
At its core, wirelessly charging an EV is similar to charging a phone. A pad with charging coils sits on the ground, connected to a power box. When a vehicle is over the pad, it creates a magnetic field using the coils, and a receiver coil on the vehicle converts the resulting magnetic energy into electrical energy that recharges the vehicle battery without physical contact. The process is officially known as inductive charging.
Within this category, there are two charging subtypes. Static wireless charging is when the vehicle or any other device is stationary while charging. The charging pad on your car console or work desk is a textbook example. There’s also dynamic wireless charging, which allows a car or device to charge while it’s moving. That might not be as crazy as it sounds.
Like many things in life, inductive charging technology has been around a lot longer than most people realize. In 1894, French inventors Maurice Hutin and Maurice Leblanc patented a wireless transformer system capable of powering self-propelled railway cars. The first smartphone with wireless charging was the Palm Pre in 2009. In a way, adopting it for EVs is a return to the tech’s roots.
If done well, wireless EV charging offers several benefits. It’s convenient, can be automated for self-driving vehicles, and can be adapted for other uses, such as industrial machinery and personal electronics. The key is getting the coil on the bottom of the vehicle as close to the pad as possible. This distance is known as the air gap. The smaller the air gap is, the more efficiently an EV will charge.
What Companies Are Investing in Wireless EV Charging?
Not surprisingly, many companies, both new and established, are giving wireless EV charging a major focus. As a result, people are already starting to see wireless EV charging used for industrial, fleet, and even home applications. Here’s a look at some of the major early players bringing wireless EV power delivery to the masses.
Plugless Power
Founded in 2009, Houston-based Plugless Power sold its first inductive charging system in 2011, which was for employee EVs at Google’s Mountain View campus. The first Plugless Power system for home use was released in 2014, and the company has provided systems for Hertz rental vehicles and European driverless buses. Currently, Plugless Power offers Level 1 and Level 2 2 wireless charging stations for a variety of EVs, including the Tesla Model S, BMW i3, and Nissan LEAF. Some of its early systems were for the since-discontinued Chevy Volt and Cadillac ELS.
WiTricity
This startup was also founded in 2009 by MIT professor Marin Soljačić, who patented a system that successfully transferred power to a 60-watt light bulb from two meters away. Since then, WiTricity has been working on wireless charging for everything from golf carts to heavy-duty truck fleets. Factory-installed WiTricity wireless charging systems are currently available for select EVs and markets, including the BMW 530e iPerformance in California and Europe. In 2023, WiTricity partnered with ABT e-Line to develop aftermarket charging systems for Volkswagen EVs, and later in 2026, it plans to launch the beta of its Halo system.
Tesla
It’s no surprise that one of the 21st-century pioneers of EVs and related technology would also be involved in wireless charging. Tesla was already working on a wireless charging pad prototype when, in 2023, it bought (and later sold) German startup Wiferion solely to acquire its wireless technology and engineers. Then, in 2024, it patented a bidirectional wireless charging prototype in which energy can flow in either direction. Unfortunately, a planned wireless system for the Cybertruck was recently canceled because the vehicle’s large air gap caused efficiency issues that couldn’t be practically overcome.
Electreon
This Israeli-based company has gone a different direction than the others. Instead of static chargers, it is working on smart road systems that offer dynamic wireless charging. The idea is that if the road charges a vehicle as it drives, vehicles can use smaller batteries, reducing costs and improving safety while extending their range. Pilot projects are underway in several countries, and Electreon claims a 90% charging efficiency for compatible vehicles traveling at 50 mph or less.
The Wireless Charging Road: Charge as You Drive
Detroit is the American automotive mecca, so it’s fitting that the city was home to the first wireless EV charging system. In November 2023, Detroit unveiled a quarter-mile stretch of 14th Street in the Michigan Central mobility district that had Electreon inductive coils installed underneath the asphalt, making it the world’s first electrified paved road. When an EV with the matching Electreon parts rolls over this section, it receives a quick charge-up. In addition, multiple public-use static wireless EV stations are available along the roadway.
Early reports are positive, with data showing that Ford E-Transit vans continued to charge even when the road was under repair or covered with ice and snow. Thanks to the strong results, plans are in place to eventually expand this charging strip to one mile, and Detroit will soon electrify a three-quarter-mile span of Michigan Avenue.
The success has spurred other big projects. Multiple countries now have electrified roads or are developing them, including Sweden, Germany, France, and Norway. In addition, Electron is working with UCLA to convert a three-quarter-mile strip of Charles E. Young Drive in time for the 2028 Summer Olympics. Incidentally, California was home to an earlier version of dynamic charging. In 2017, Siemens installed overhead wires along a one-mile stretch of South Alameda Street in Carson to charge electric trucks equipped with a matching overhead arm.
Filling the Demand for Wireless EV Charging
The biggest driver of wireless EV charging is people’s demand for it. Multiple studies commissioned by WiTricity have found substantial interest in wireless power delivery. A 2021 study by TideWatch Partners found that wireless charging availability would make people 40-70% more likely to buy an EV. Another study by Qualtrics found that respondents considered wireless charging a higher priority than full self-driving, premium audio, and many other design features.
Wireless EV charging isn’t merely the future. It’s already on our doorstep. The convenience can’t be beaten, especially when built into the infrastructure as dynamic charging. Although Level 3 “fast charging” isn’t available yet, I’m sure engineers are working to make it happen. When it does, wireless power delivery will be at the forefront.
