New Generation Wireless Smartphone Charger Developed for Toyota Motor Corporation New Business Expansion for Existing Vehicles

In June 2023, Panasonic Automotive Systems’ new generation wireless charger was installed as standard equipment in all grades of the fully remodeled Toyota Motor Corporation’s (hereinafter Toyota) new Alphard/Vellfire. The charger provides highly efficient charging performance thanks to our original moving coil method and proprietary algorithms that support smartphones of various shapes and sizes.

What challenges did you face in having the product be accepted by Toyota? We spoke with employees from the development and sales divisions.

What were the major innovations and development hurdles in this project?

Mr. Takeshi Kunii (Engineering):
Our greatest strength is the moving coil method, in which the charging coil automatically follows the movement of the smartphone even if its position shifts while driving, etc. To further enhance the charging capability, we increased the maximum charging output by 1.5 times, from the previous 10 W to 15 W*1. We also optimized the coil design and placement, and increased the range of motion to minimize the time when the smartphone isn’t charging.

The difficult part is accommodating various smartphones, which continue to undergo model changes and evolve rapidly. Protrusions around the camera lens and smartphone covers must also be taken into account. In particular, we received comments from end-users that the thickness of flip-case covers, which are common in the Japanese market, prevented smartphones from being fully charged. We reviewed the parameters for foreign object detection*2 and developed our own charging algorithm to maximize charging time. The chargeable range has been expanded by 3.6 times compared to the previous model, which ensures highly efficient charging even if the smartphone is misaligned.
*1 Capable of fast charging up to 15 W for products compliant with Ver. 1.3.2 of the Qi standard.
Compatible with iPhone 7.5 W charging and Galaxy fast charging specifications (10 W). 
*2 A function unique to wireless chargers that stops charging for user safety if a foreign object between the charger and the smartphone generates heat.

What sales activities have led to increased sales?

Motoki Oshima (Sales):
In order to provide a deeper understanding of the strengths of our products, we made more aggressive technical appeals to Toyota’s development managers. At first, Toyota was only aware of the charging-by-placing function, and was not aware of Panasonic Automotive’s Moving Coil technology, which is one of our strengths. Thanks to new promotional efforts, such as providing promotional videos, Toyota recognized that the product would enhance the vehicle itself. The installation rate in Toyota vehicles expanded in other models following the initial standard installation in the Alphard/Vellfire, which led to increased sales.
We also promoted this product for vehicles that are already on the road to further increase sales. We were able to start selling the product through the KINTO FACTORY service, an update service for vehicles already on the market, in cooperation with KINTO Corporation (hereinafter KINTO), a Toyota-affiliated company that offers a car subscription service. As of May 2024, it is available as a retrofit option for a total of five Toyota- and LEXUS-brand models, which has contributed significantly to sales.

What post-launch activities are you pursuing to improve recognition?

Mr. Yusuke Kikuchi (Sales):
In order to raise awareness of this new product and hear directly from end-users, we participated in an offline meeting of LEXUS and RAV4 users organized by an SNS influencer. KINTO set up a display space for our charger at their booth and we gave a demonstration.
The most common complaint from users was “I thought that wireless charging could charge just by putting my phone down, but it doesn’t really charge at all if it’s out of position.” End-users were able to confirm through the demonstration that the moving coil allows for charging even if the smartphone is out of alignment, which gave them a good impression and boosted our confidence. The demonstration effectively attracted customers, and we have received more orders than expected for LEXUS NX since the service was launched at KINTO FACTORY.

What future activities do you have planned?

Mr. Motoki Oshima:
In the future, we will focus on increasing orders at KINTO FACTORY, updating existing vehicles, while expanding the number of models with factory-installed options both in Japan and overseas. We will also actively participate in offline meetings and other venues to meet end-users, so they can try our products using their own smartphones and increase their interest in the product. We will also reflect user feedback in the planning of future products and leverage it in our proposals to car manufacturers.

Mr. Takeshi Kunii: 
In terms of product specifications, we would like to evolve our algorithm to achieve even higher charging efficiency to keep pace with the evolution of smartphones. This will require steady, time-consuming, and labor-intensive activities, but it is very rewarding when it leads to increased orders and sales.

Press release page： https://news.panasonic.com/jp/press/jn230724-2

New generation wireless charger introduction video： https://factory.kinto-jp.com/introduction/product/product-detail/lexus/NX002/NX002_10/

LEXUS NX option introduction page： https://lexus.jp/models/nx/features/equipment/