An American developer of wireless electric-vehicle charging technology plans to enter the Japanese market as early as 2024, Nikkei has learned, by teaming up with Tokyo-based fuel seller Sinanen Holdings.

WiTricity’s technology lets the driver simply stop over a charging pad instead of plugging in a cord. The partners will target facilities for commercial vehicles.

WiTricity will begin production of wireless charging equipment in 2023 and plans to enter Japan after the U.S. and Europe. Sinanen’s retail sales channels for electricity will be used to make proposals to commercial facilities and logistics companies. Pricing has yet to be set, but the goal is to be at the same level as standard chargers.

The charging system employs encased coils on the transmission and receiving sides. Horizontal transmission equipment on the ground delivers power via magnetic field to receiving equipment on the EV’s underside. The output is 11 kilowatts, and a vehicle can travel about 150 kilometers on a three-hour charge. The process can also be reversed to extract power from EVs.

WiTricity, founded by professors from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, has had Mitsubishi Corp. and Toyota Motor among its investors. Its technology is based on magnetic field resonance, which can transmit power without direct contact. EVs can be charged even if the parking positions are slightly off.

The company envisions future systems to recharge moving vehicles via in-road coils.