The need to evolve with time is necessary for survival. The same applies to every sector and domain including the automobile industry. With the increasing depletion of fossil fuels that enable our cars to run on the roads and elevation in the levels of global warming – the automobile sector was bound to introduce an effective and environment-friendly option for the customers.
The exciting development of electric cars has fascinated everyone in the past few years. Even though the technology seems new to many, the birth of the electric car is much older as it began in the 1800s.
The Electronic Vehicle (EV) Market has been expanding greatly in recent times, majorly due to gas shortages and environmental concerns. With the rise in this market, it is essential to novel discoveries in this field.
The electric car technology patents are provided based on the vehicle’s performance, chassis, suspension and steering/braking system, the battery and electronics arrangement, etc.
A series of inventions
A series of inventions led to the discovery of electric cars in the1800s. What started as the invention of the battery for vehicles and continued till the ultimate discovery of electric motors – the electric cars came into the limelight.
Several innovators from the United States, Hungary, the Netherlands, and Vermont – started working on the development of battery-powered vehicles which led to the discovery of small-scale electric cars.
Later a British developer Robert Anderson developed the first crude electric carriage which was followed by the first practical electric car invention in the 19th century by some great minds from England and France.
In the United States, William Morrison a Des Moines chemist developed the first successful electric car in 1890. The car had a top speed of 14 miles per hour which was still enough to develop an interest in the concept of electric cars at that time.
Even though electric cars were developed way early, the concept still appears new to many. This is primarily because of the fall of electric cars in the mid-19th century.
The gasoline-powered cars became more popular among people as they were being manufactured at a larger rate than electric ones. The low cost of such gasoline cars compared to electric cars was another reason why people preferably avoided purchasing the latter.
The patent trends in the automobile patent industry
Patenting is an important concept in any research and innovation field. It certifies that you shall remain the first person ever to discover a new advancement in a particular field.
Electric vehicle patent is assigned if a company discovers something new and innovative in any of the following areas – arrangement of batteries, electronics, propulsion, chassis, steering system, suspension system, and the braking system.
Over the past 10 years, the maximum number of patents for electric cars have been given to innovations in the field of arrangement of propulsion, steering system, and braking system.
While chassis and the arrangement of batteries recorded the lowest number of electric car patents at the same time. This data signifies how the automobile patent industry has been attracting innovations in the above-mentioned best-performing domains in the Electric Vehicle (EV) market.
The US Patent filing system recorded around 21,060 patents filed between the year 2016-2020. Out of these, the top assignees are Robert Bosch (3063), Toyota Motor (5044), Honda Motor (2853), and Ford Global Technology (2644) who have filed the maximum number of patents.
Y02T-010 and Y02T-090 have become the most commonly used CPC classification in the US patent system. However, in 2020-21 the number was reduced due to Covid-19.
Conclusion-
Even though the electric car patents have slowed down at present, it does not mean the innovation has been of no use. There are many automotive companies and firms that have come up with even better options in the EV market including KIA motors, Tesla, etc.
Additionally, they are trying to bring more cost-efficient and reliable options so that they can be made available to people all across the globe at an affordable range. Electric cars will lead the way to the future of mankind as it is undoubtedly the best option to save the environment and all our natural resources.
Patents Kart is a patent company that leads a group of dedicated and talented professionals with the technical and industrial skills needed to file patents in any industry. They provide various patent support services to their customers including business development and consultation, technology and strategy consultation, and other legal advisory services.