We all know that Toyota may be one of the manufacturers that is a little behind in making electric vehicle models. But from a research point of view, but regarding solid state battery patents, this Japanese manufacturer is at the forefront.
Nikkei in collaboration with research firm Tokyo Patent Result has been researching solid-state battery patent applications filed with the World Intellectual Property Organization and other groups. Patents relating to solid-state batteries were filed between 2000 and the end of March from 10 countries and territories.
The Nikkei and Tokyo Patent Result said Toyota is the leader with 1,331 patents related to solid-state batteries while Panasonic Holdings is second with 445 patents. Idemitsu Kosan holds 272 patents.
Fourth place is Samsung Electronics which is the only non-Japanese company in the top five. Toyota itself is known to conduct research on solid-state batteries since the 1990s.
Toyota currently holds patents in various technological applications for solid-state batteries such as battery structures, materials and manufacturing processes.
In 2020, Toyota developed a walking prototype vehicle powered by a solid-state battery. In the same year, Toyota and Panasonic established an electric vehicle battery joint venture which includes research and development of solid-state battery technology.
Idemitsu, who is well-known in the oil industry in Japan, holds patents mainly in metallic materials for solid-state batteries.
Toyota increased its patents by about 40% in the period between 2016 and 2020. Meanwhile, in the same period, Samsung more than doubled its patents.
In the electric vehicle battery market, in 2018 Panasonic held the largest global share. But recently that dominance has been eclipsed by Chinese companies backed by government donations. Last year, Panasonic dropped to third place in the electric vehicle battery market share.
