Wireless charging for electric vehicles: A review on environmental, health, technical, and policy landscape

• Reviews environmental challenges and health risks of wireless charging for EVs. • Analyzes technical issues in battery degradation, coil design, efficiency, maintenance complexity. • Proposes policy roadmap addressing standards-policy nexus for deployment. Although wireless electric vehicle charging (WEVC) has numerous advantages over conventional plug-in systems, its adoption raises concerns that extend beyond technical efficacy. Comprehensive studies that connect environmental, health, technical, and policy aspects remain unaddressed in existing articles. This paper addresses it by reviewing WEVCs from multiple perspectives. The findings show several environmental challenges compared to wired systems, and ecological risks associated with electromagnetic fields. Health and safety issues are also evident regarding electromagnetic exposure, thermal hazards, coil misalignment, and battery degradation under high-frequency charging conditions. On the technical side, key concerns include battery issues, coil design, efficiency losses, component reliability, and maintenance complexity. While current standards provide guidance, they remain fragmented and incomplete, especially for high-power and dynamic charging applications. Analysis of the policy–standards nexus shows limited specific policies for WEVCs. By combining these perspectives, the paper identifies major gaps, calls for global standards, and suggests a policy roadmap for effective and sustainable WEVC deployment.