Wireless Communication-Enabled Control of Electric Vehicle Wireless Power Transfer Chargers: A Comprehensive Review of Architectures, Standards, Challenges, and Future Trends

Abstract

Wireless power transfer (WPT) is becoming an attractive solution for charging electric vehicles (EVs). It offers greater convenience, reduces mechanical wear, and supports the development of automated and dynamic charging systems. However, the effectiveness of WPT-based EV chargers does not depend only on power electronics, coil design, and energy efficiency. Reliable wireless communication between the vehicle and the charging infrastructure is also essential. This communication link allows the system to identify and authenticate the vehicle, support coil alignment, regulate power transfer, monitor battery conditions, supervise safety, and manage possible faults. This review discusses the role of wireless communication technologies in the control of WPT EV charging systems. It also presents the main EV charging methods, the basic principles of WPT, its applications in electric vehicles, and key standards such as IEC 61980 and ISO 15118. In addition, the review compares Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC, Zigbee, V2X, and cellular communication in terms of their suitability for WPT control. It also highlights major challenges, including electromagnetic interference, latency, cybersecurity, coil misalignment, system complexity, and standardization issues. Overall, future WPT EV chargers will need secure, reliable, and low-latency communication integrated with control and power transfer systems to achieve safe, efficient, and intelligent wireless charging.