The automotive industry continues to be a hotbed of innovation. Activity is driven by the need to reduce vehicle emissions by environment-conscious consumers and stringent government regulations, and growing importance of technologies such as solar photovoltaic cells and passive solar technology. 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: Solar-powered vehicles. 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.
Solar-powered vehicles is a key innovation area in environmental sustainability
Solar vehicles are electric vehicles that utilise self-contained solar cells to power themselves fully or partially from sunlight. These vehicles normally contain a rechargeable battery to aid in regulating and storing the energy from the solar cells.
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 100+ companies, spanning technology vendors, established automotive companies, and up-and-coming start-ups engaged in the development and application of solar-powered vehicles.
Key players in solar-powered vehicles – 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 solar-powered vehicles
Source: GlobalData Patent Analytics
Toyota is a key player in the solar-powered vehicles innovation area. The 2023 Toyota Prius has optional solar-powered roof panels. In addition to charging via the engine or a charging station, the cells can also be charged via optional solar cells on the roof. The solar roof can generate electricity equivalent to 1,800km of driving distance per year. Hyundai, Ford, Husqvarna and Panasonic 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.
