Widely seen as the wave of the future, electric vehicles have faced a serious hurdle in pushing the technology to match or surpass the distance that traditional vehicles can drive in a single charge.
To overcome this hurdle, a research group at the University of Tokyo has been developing wireless technology that relies on in-wheel motors to receive a charge while driving in a charging lane or on sections of roads embedded with power transmission coils. That, the group says, will allow the vehicles to get more distance without heavily relying on large-capacity batteries.
The team recently announced the world's first successful demonstration of wireless charging of in-wheel motor electric vehicles while in motion using actual vehicles.