The automotive industry continues to be a hotbed of patent innovation. Activity is driven by the need for increased electrode density, faster cycle times and improving the battery’s lifespan, and growing importance of technologies such as graphene enhanced lithium-sulphur battery and graphene enhanced polymer battery. In the last three years alone, there have been over 720,000 patents filed and granted in the automotive industry, according to GlobalData’s report on Batteries in automotive: graphene batteries.  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. 

Graphene batteries is a key innovation area in batteries 

Graphene batteries are an innovative technology that facilitates better electrode density and quicker cycle times, along with the ability to hold the charge longer thus enhancing the battery’s lifespan.

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 165+ companies, spanning technology vendors, established automotive companies, and up-and-coming start-ups engaged in the development and application of graphene batteries. 

Key players in graphene 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 graphene batteries

Company Total patents (2021 - 2023) Premium intelligence on the world's largest companies
China Baoan Group 5 Unlock Company Profile
Tata Steel 7 Unlock Company Profile
Parjointco 6 Unlock Company Profile
Sekisui Chemical 25 Unlock Company Profile
Toyota Motor 18 Unlock Company Profile
Toray Industries 91 Unlock Company Profile
Repsol 6 Unlock Company Profile
Samsung SDI 14 Unlock Company Profile
Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Forderung der Angewandten Forschung 23 Unlock Company Profile
Metal Industries Research and Development Centre 3 Unlock Company Profile
Hon Hai Precision Industry 7 Unlock Company Profile
PPG Industries 42 Unlock Company Profile
Saudi Arabian Oil 7 Unlock Company Profile
Grafoid 8 Unlock Company Profile
HK Graphene Technology 4 Unlock Company Profile
CPC 8 Unlock Company Profile
Resonac 11 Unlock Company Profile
LG 60 Unlock Company Profile
Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation 6 Unlock Company Profile
Albemarle 22 Unlock Company Profile
NEC 13 Unlock Company Profile
Group Nanoxplore 4 Unlock Company Profile
Contemporary Amperex Technology 4 Unlock Company Profile
Ocean's King Lighting Science & Technology 3 Unlock Company Profile
Semiconductor Energy Laboratory 17 Unlock Company Profile
Toray Advanced Materials Research Laboratories (China) 3 Unlock Company Profile
Toray Industries 15 Unlock Company Profile
Vorbeck Materials 5 Unlock Company Profile
Molecular Rebar Design 6 Unlock Company Profile
NanoXplore 13 Unlock Company Profile
Wang Yue 3 Unlock Company Profile
Jiangsu Cnano Technology 2 Unlock Company Profile
Nanotek Instruments 11 Unlock Company Profile
Sicona Battery Technologies 2 Unlock Company Profile
Global Graphene Group 19 Unlock Company Profile
Hangzhou Gaoxi Technology 8 Unlock Company Profile
Lyten 7 Unlock Company Profile
Nanotek Instruments Group 4 Unlock Company Profile
Centre for Nano and Soft Matter Sciences 5 Unlock Company Profile
Ocean King Lighting Technology 5 Unlock Company Profile
Shenzhen Bei Terui New Energy Materials 3 Unlock Company Profile

Source: GlobalData Patent Analytics

Toray Industries is the leading patent filer in the graphene batteries innovation area. The company has successfully developed an ultra-thin graphene dispersion solution with excellent fluidity, electrical conductivity, and thermal conductivity. It has developed a technology that uses cheap graphite materials to make very thin, high-quality graphene. LG, PPG Industries, Sekisui Chemical, and Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft are some of the other key players in graphene batteries innovation.

In terms of application diversity, Toray Industries held the top position, while LG and PPG Industries stood in second and third positions, respectively. By means of geographic reach, Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft leads the pack, followed by PPG Industries and NanoXplore.

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.