The automotive industry continues to be a hotbed of patent innovation. Activity is driven by the future limited reserve of fossil fuels, a deteriorating environment, and growing importance of technologies such as hydrogen injection systems for internal combustion engines and engine calibrators. In the last three years alone, there have been over 1.7 million patents filed and granted in the automotive industry, according to GlobalData’s report on Climate change in automotive: bio-fuel ICEs. Buy the report here.
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According to GlobalData’s Technology Foresights, which uses over one million patents to analyze innovation intensity for the automotive industry, there are 300+ innovation areas that will shape the future of the industry.
Bio-fuel ICEs is a key innovation area in climate change
Biodiesel increases the fuel’s cetane number and enhances fuel lubricity. The engine starts quicker and has less ignition delay when the cetane number is higher. Diesel engines rely on the fuel’s lubricity to keep moving parts from wearing out too soon.
GlobalData’s analysis also uncovers the companies at the forefront of each innovation area and assesses the potential reach and impact of their patenting activity across different applications and geographies. According to GlobalData, there are 30 companies, spanning technology vendors, established automotive companies, and up-and-coming start-ups engaged in the development and application of bio-fuel ICEs.
Key players in bio-fuel ICEs – a disruptive innovation in the automotive industry
‘Application diversity’ measures the number of applications identified for each patent. It broadly splits companies into either ‘niche’ or ‘diversified’ innovators.
‘Geographic reach’ refers to the number of countries each patent is registered in. It reflects the breadth of geographic application intended, ranging from ‘global’ to ‘local’.
Patent volumes related to bio-fuel ICEs
| Company | Total patents (2021 - 2023) | Premium intelligence on the world's largest companies |
| Volvo | 4 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Shandong Heavy Industry Group | 4 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Dewey Electronics | 23 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Toyota Motor | 8 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Zhejiang Geely | 1 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Orbital | 8 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Caterpillar | 13 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Suzuki Motor | 7 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Westport Fuel Systems | 7 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Porsche Automobil | 40 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Motonic | 5 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Briggs & Stratton | 2 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Doosan | 5 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Yiu Lian Dockyards (Shekou) | 1 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Ford Motor | 7 | Unlock Company Profile |
| WESTPORT POWER | 11 | Unlock Company Profile |
| China Merchants Group | 1 | Unlock Company Profile |
| United Automotive Electronic Systems | 1 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Winterthur Gas & Diesel | 22 | Unlock Company Profile |
| CRRC Group | 2 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Yanmar (Tokyo Office) | 4 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Anhui forklift Group | 1 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Champion Power Equipment | 4 | Unlock Company Profile |
| MWM | 2 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Dongfeng honda engine | 1 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Man Energy Solutions Filial Af Man Energy Solutions Se Tyskland | 16 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Henan Diesel Engine Industry | 1 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Cssc Marine Power | 3 | Unlock Company Profile |
| YANMAR POWER TECHNOLOGY | 5 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Uni-President Enterprises | 3 | Unlock Company Profile |
Source: GlobalData Patent Analytics
Porsche SE is the leading patent filer in bio-fuel ICE. It is working on synthetic fuel to make ICE cars as clean as EVs. Dewey Electronics, Winterthur Gas & Diesel, Man Energy Solutions, and Caterpillar are some of the other key players innovating in bio-fuel ICE.
In terms of application diversity, Shandong Heavy Industry held the top position, while Orbital and Motonic stood in second and third positions, respectively. By means of geographic reach, Dewey Electronics leads the pack, followed by Toyota Motor and Suzuki Motor.
To further understand the key themes and technologies disrupting the automotive industry, access GlobalData’s latest thematic research report on Automotive.
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GlobalData, the leading provider of industry intelligence, provided the underlying data, research, and analysis used to produce this article.
GlobalData’s Patent Analytics tracks patent filings and grants from official offices around the world. Textual analysis and official patent classifications are used to group patents into key thematic areas and link them to specific companies across the world’s largest industries.
