Nissan Finally Fixed Wireless Charging, Unless You’re Holding The Wrong Phone

The first Qi2 wireless charger in a car cuts charging time in half, but not every phone is ready to take advantage of it

Car Talk, Autos Dec 19, 2025 0 0 Add to Reading List

Nissan Finally Fixed Wireless Charging, Unless You’re Holding The Wrong Phone

Nissan’s new charger features a raised magnet and cooling fan.
It delivers 15 watts and charges most phones in 90 minutes.
Many Android phones need a special case to work with it.

Wireless phone charging has quietly become standard fare in everything from entry-level hatchbacks to high-end SUVs. But until now, no carmaker in the US has brought Qi2 wireless charging tech to the table.

The first to do so? Not one of the usual suspects, but Nissan. The new system promises a step up in efficiency and alignment over the usual pads, though it comes with a few caveats.

Read: 2026 Nissan Pathfinder Hides An Invisible Hood View You Will Actually Use

Nissan’s latest charging pad doesn’t have a flat surface, unlike pretty much all pads used in the automotive industry. Instead, it uses a raised magnetic circle that easily sticks to the magnetic backs featured on all iPhones since the 12, and newer Google Pixel devices.

If you’re using another Android phone, though, you’ll need to invest in a magnetic case, or go without.

Magnetic Ring Meets Modern Devices

According to Nissan, the magnetized charging puck ensures the device is always properly aligned, boosting charging performance. In addition to the raised surface, Nissan has also added a cooling fan. Plenty of other cars have started to use cooling fans on their charging pads, and it’s nice to see Nissan following suit.

The carmaker notes that the cooling fan significantly reduces the temperature of the device, helping to reduce the risk of overheating. Nissan’s new Qi2 wireless charger also delivers 15 watts of power, up from 5 watts of older systems used by the carmaker.

That’s certainly better, though still modest next to the 50-watt wireless setups beginning to appear in some new models.

Nissan says that its new charger cuts the 10-90 percent charging time of a device from four hours to just over 90 minutes. It has also added a small light above the charger.

If the light is solid orange, it means the phone is charging; if it’s flashing orange, a foreign object has been detected in the charging area, and if the light is green, the phone is fully charged.

The new charger is rolling out in the 2026 Nissan Murano and Nissan Pathfinder, and will likely be added to other models soon.