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According to GlobalData’s database of global published patents (patent applications and patents granted) Toyota led a second quarter ranking of automotive sector patents by assignee with 4,137 publications (comprising 2,259 applications and 1,871 grants).

Analysis of Toyota’s patents for the quarter shows a geographic distribution heavily skewed toward patent authorities in Japan (2,162), the US (1,367) and China (877). The main sectors and themes for Toyota’s patents are electrification technologies and batteries.

Toyota has reported a big rise in BEV sales for the second quarter, up to 29,000 versus just 4,000 in the same quarter of last year.

GlobalData analyst Al Bedwell says Toyota is playing catch-up in fully electric vehicles. “Toyota’s hand has also been somewhat forced by the industry-wide move to adopt battery EVs.

“Regional regulators have defined timelines to ban the sales of combustion-powered cars. With other automakers making strong commitments to abandon combustion engines and electrify their line-ups, Toyota has now responded with its own line of battery EV models – such as the bZ4X.”