The automotive industry continues to be a hotbed of innovation. Activity is driven by the need to reduce exhaust generated noise and improve engine efficiency, and growing importance of technologies such as exhaust after treatment systems and exhaust gas recirculation systems. In the last three years alone, there have been over 1.2 million patents filed and granted in the automotive industry, according to GlobalData’s report on Environmental sustainability in Automotive: ICE exhaust system design.  Buy the report here.

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According to GlobalData’s Technology Foresights, which uses over 619,000 patents to analyse innovation intensity for the automotive industry, there are 290+ innovation areas that will shape the future of the industry. 

ICE exhaust system design is a key innovation area in environmental sustainability 

An exhaust system is utilised to move reaction exhaust gases away from controlled combustion within an engine. The entire system transfers burnt gases from the engine and contains one or more exhaust pipes. 

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 60+ companies, spanning technology vendors, established automotive companies, and up-and-coming start-ups engaged in the development and application of ICE exhaust system design. 

Key players in ICE exhaust system design – a disruptive innovation in the automotive industry   

‘Application diversity’ measures the number of different applications identified for each relevant patent. It broadly splits companies into either ‘niche’ or ‘diversified’ innovators. 

‘Geographic reach’ refers to the number of different countries each relevant patent is registered in. It reflects the breadth of geographic application intended, ranging from ‘global’ to ‘local’. 

Patent volumes related to ICE exhaust system design

Company Total patents (2021 - 2023) Premium intelligence on the world's largest companies
Porsche Automobil Holding 354 Unlock Company Profile
Komatsu 161 Unlock Company Profile
Toyota Motor 160 Unlock Company Profile
Yanmar Holdings 123 Unlock Company Profile
Ford Motor 115 Unlock Company Profile
Mazda Motor 100 Unlock Company Profile
General Motors 88 Unlock Company Profile
Hyundai Motor Group 78 Unlock Company Profile
Yamaha Motor 71 Unlock Company Profile
Johnson Matthey 61 Unlock Company Profile
Honda Motor 58 Unlock Company Profile
Kia 49 Unlock Company Profile
Isuzu Motors 48 Unlock Company Profile
BorgWarner 45 Unlock Company Profile
YANMAR POWER TECHNOLOGY 43 Unlock Company Profile
Wartsila 36 Unlock Company Profile
Carnival 34 Unlock Company Profile
Kubota 34 Unlock Company Profile
Hyundai Heavy Industries Holdings 33 Unlock Company Profile
Hitachi 33 Unlock Company Profile
Cummins 32 Unlock Company Profile
Bayerische Motoren Werke 31 Unlock Company Profile
Caterpillar 30 Unlock Company Profile
Shandong Heavy Industry Group 28 Unlock Company Profile
Suzuki Motor 28 Unlock Company Profile
Tata Motors 28 Unlock Company Profile
Renault 22 Unlock Company Profile
AB Volvo 21 Unlock Company Profile
Hitachi Zosen 21 Unlock Company Profile
Rolls-Royce Holdings 21 Unlock Company Profile
Emitec Gesellschaft fur Emissionstechnologie mbH 21 Unlock Company Profile
Haldor Topsoe Holding 20 Unlock Company Profile
Mercedes-Benz Group 17 Unlock Company Profile
Denso 17 Unlock Company Profile
Continental 14 Unlock Company Profile
Truck Hero 14 Unlock Company Profile
Winterthur Gas & Diesel 13 Unlock Company Profile
Tenneco 13 Unlock Company Profile
Jetoptera 13 Unlock Company Profile
Microsoft 12 Unlock Company Profile
TVS Group 11 Unlock Company Profile
LG 11 Unlock Company Profile
Mitsubishi Motors 10 Unlock Company Profile
Nissan Motor 10 Unlock Company Profile
BASF 10 Unlock Company Profile
Iseki & Co 10 Unlock Company Profile
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries 9 Unlock Company Profile
Polaris 9 Unlock Company Profile
Robert Bosch Stiftung 9 Unlock Company Profile
Sumitomo Heavy Industries 9 Unlock Company Profile

Source: GlobalData Patent Analytics

Porsche Automobil is a leading player in the ICE exhaust system design innovation area. The company has developed the Porsche 911 exhaust system, which utilises proprietary V-Band fittings and features a quick and easy assembly procedure. The 911 exhaust system can be utilised in the factory silencer positions and comes with multiple silencer options that can be implemented in a modular fashion using the factory mounting points. It also saves weight over the most rearward part of the car. Toyota, Mazda, Komatsu, Yanmar and Ford are some of the other key players.       

To further understand how environmental sustainability is 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.