Toyota leads the way in total number of automotive patents
Eighteen of the world’s major car makers registered over 57,000 automotive patents globally in 2014, and a quarter of those were accounted for by Toyota, according to a study conducted by Germany’s Center of Automotive Management (CAM) at the University of Applied Sciences near Cologne.
The same study also found that focus on powertrain development has shifted notably away from conventional combustion engines with 85 percent of automotive patents issued being related to alternative powertrains with hybrid having the biggest share.
“The patent trends show that, in recent years, many carmakers have radically changed their technology focus in the powertrain area,” said Dr Stefan Bratzel, Director of CAM.
“They are intensely looking beyond the internal combustion engine for technical solutions in the areas of hybrid powertrains and electric mobility,” he elaborated.
Playing its part to further spur research and development in the field, Toyota had made more 5,680 of its fuel-cell and related patents, developed for use in its Mirai fuel cell vehicle, royalty-free for use across the industry.
Toyota’s initiative involved approximately 1,970 patents related to fuel-cell stacks, 3,350 covering fuel-cell system software control, 290 associated with high-pressure hydrogen storage tanks and 70 patents for hydrogen production and supply technologies.
