The automotive industry continues to be a hotbed of patent innovation. Activity is driven by lightweight, long-lasting batteries and powerful solid-state batteries, and growing importance of technologies such as high energy density, flat voltage curves, and low self-discharge. 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 Batteries in automotive: zirconium electrode batteries. Buy the report here.
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.
Zirconium electrode batteries is a key innovation area in batteries
Zirconium‐based materials are emerging as potential candidates for developing the next generation of electric batteries. The first application of Zirconium sulphide (ZrS2) was as a potential lithium-ion battery electrode material. The electrochemical reactions of ZrS2 at various discharge depths were studied along with the structural changes of ZrS2 electrodes under various voltage windows. Reversible Li ion insertion and extraction was demonstrated by ZrS2 electrodes.
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 zirconium electrode batteries.
Key players in zirconium electrode batteries – 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 zirconium electrode batteries
| Company | Total patents (2010 - 2022) | Premium intelligence on the world's largest companies |
| Nippon Electric Glass | 4 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Toyota Motor | 32 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Corning | 21 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Coslight Technology International Group | 4 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Robert Bosch Stiftung | 10 | Unlock Company Profile |
| BYD | 4 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Carl Zeiss Stiftung | 24 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Hyundai Motor | 5 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique | 6 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Murata Manufacturing | 26 | Unlock Company Profile |
| NGK Spark Plug | 10 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Panasonic | 140 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Kaneka | 13 | Unlock Company Profile |
| BASF | 22 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Central Glass | 12 | Unlock Company Profile |
| LG | 21 | Unlock Company Profile |
| RAG-Stiftung | 12 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Daiichi Kigenso Kagaku Kogyo | 31 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Solvay | 19 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Johnson Matthey | 4 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Toshiba | 40 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Hydro-Quebec | 13 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Seiko Epson | 16 | Unlock Company Profile |
| NGK Insulators | 15 | Unlock Company Profile |
| POSCO | 26 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Sachem | 10 | Unlock Company Profile |
| QuantumScape | 90 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Arizona Board of Regents | 5 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Samsung Group | 42 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Green Science Alliance | 4 | Unlock Company Profile |
| The Corporation For Penn State | 4 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Japan Special Ceramics | 5 | Unlock Company Profile |
| 6K | 11 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, Japan | 34 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Universal Technical Institute | 3 | Unlock Company Profile |
Source: GlobalData Patent Analytics
Panasonic is the top patent filer in zirconium electrode batteries. The company focuses on identifying and assembling individual membrane electrodes that use hydrogen and oxygen to produce electricity. QuantumScape, Samsung, Toshiba, and Toyota Motor are some of the other leading patent filers in the zirconium electrode batteries innovation space.
In terms of application diversity, Johnson Matthey held the top position, while QuantumScape and Hydro-Quebec stood in second and third positions, respectively. By means of geographic reach, QuantumScape leads the pack, followed by 6K and Robert Bosch Stiftung.
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.
