The automotive industry continues to be a hotbed of patent innovation. Activity is driven by environmental protection, fossil fuel scarcity, climate change and pollution, and growing importance of technologies such as series hybrid propulsion and parallel hybrid propulsion. 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 Electric vehicles in automotive: HEV propulsion systems. 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.
HEV propulsion systems is a key innovation area in electric vehicles
A hybrid vehicle is a vehicle that uses two or more types of propulsion. Most hybrid vehicles utilize a traditional gasoline engine along with an electric motor to power the vehicle.
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 80+ companies, spanning technology vendors, established automotive companies, and up-and-coming start-ups engaged in the development and application of HEV propulsion systems.
Key players in HEV propulsion systems – 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 HEV propulsion systems
Source: GlobalData Patent Analytics
Toyota Motor is the leading patent filer in the HEV propulsion systems innovation area. The company has introduced the serial-parallel concept of HEV, which is commercially presented as Toyota Hybrid Synergy Drive (THS drive). This concept is implemented in the first and the most successful commercial hybrid vehicle Toyota Prius. It is a complex HEV system wherein both serial and parallel energy pathways are integrated into one propulsion system. Ford Motor, Hyundai Motor, Kia, and Sumitomo Electric Industries are some of the other key players in the innovation area.
In terms of application diversity, Suncall held the top position, while Nidec and ROHM stood in second and third positions, respectively. By means of geographic reach, Orbia Advance leads the pack, followed by Eaton and Allison Transmission.
To further understand the key themes and technologies disrupting the automotive industry, access GlobalData’s latest thematic research report on Electric Vehicles (EV).
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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.
