Battery technology research and development from patent

technical analysis

The battery is the only energy source for pure electric vehicles. It is also the power supply for various auxiliary devices on the car, in addition to the electric energy needed for driving the car. The performance indicators of the battery largely determine the driving performance of the car, such as the driving range of the pure electric vehicle and the acceleration or climbing power performance. Therefore, all countries in the world regard electric vehicle batteries as the focus of research and development, and give them vigorous policies and financial support.

Since Propulsion Batteries Limited applied for the first patent for pure electric vehicle battery application US3928080 in 1970, a new patent application was filed almost every year. Especially after 1991, the patent application for the battery for pure electric vehicles was compared with the previous one. Times increase.

Japan: At present, the research of Japanese batteries for pure electric vehicles is mainly focused on lithium batteries, followed by lead-acid batteries, nickel-hydrogen batteries, and sodium batteries. Judging from the total number of patent applications worldwide, Japan has the largest number of patent applications related to storage batteries for pure electric vehicles and their management systems. Judging from the number of patent applications in Japan, more than 90% of the 6,678 patent applications related to batteries for pure electric vehicles and their management systems come from Japanese applicants. Whether it is from the perspective of the number of patent applications in the world or the share of Japanese applicants in Japan’s patent applications, Japan is the strongest in the field of batteries and management systems for purely electric vehicles. patented technology.

United States: As the world’s largest automobile production and consumer country, the United States has earlier conducted research and development of electric vehicle technologies. At present, the study of US batteries for pure electric vehicles is mainly focused on lithium batteries. Lithium batteries account for more than 70% of patents on power batteries, followed by lead-acid batteries, nickel-hydrogen batteries, air batteries, and sodium batteries. From the perspective of the total number of patent applications worldwide, as of June 2010, the number of patent applications for batteries and its management systems for pure electric vehicles in the United States ranked second after Japan. Judging from the number of domestic patent applications in the United States, among the patent applications relating to batteries for pure electric vehicles and their management systems, the number of patents from Japanese applicants is the largest, approaching 60% of the total, while patent applications from US applicants The quantity is inferior to Japan.

Germany: At present, research on batteries for pure electric vehicles in Germany mainly focuses on lithium batteries, followed by lead-acid batteries, nickel-hydrogen batteries, sodium batteries, and air batteries. From the perspective of the total number of patent applications worldwide, as of June 2010, the number of patent applications related to battery and its management systems for pure electric vehicles in Germany ranks 6th in the world, which is very different from the number of Japanese patents ranked first. Large, accounting for only 11% of Japanese applications. Judging from the number of domestic patent applications in Germany, German applicants hold about 43% of the total patents, which is higher than Japan ranked second. Globally, Germany's technical strength in the field of pure electric vehicle batteries and its management systems is far less than that of Japan. However, within the scope of the country, Germany has strong technical advantages and the number of patents is higher than Japan.

South Korea: South Korea’s current automotive output and exports rank fifth and fourth respectively in the world. South Korea's battery research for pure electric vehicles is mainly focused on lithium batteries, and its patent applications are much higher than nickel-metal hydride batteries, lead-acid batteries, and sodium batteries. Judging from the total number of patent applications worldwide, the number of Korean patent applications related to batteries and their management systems for pure electric vehicles is behind Japan, the United States, China, and Europe. Judging from the number of domestic patent applications in Korea, among the patent applications relating to batteries for pure electric vehicles and their management systems, the patent applications with the highest number of applications are from Korean nationals, the Japanese applicants are ranked second, and the number of applications is only Second to South Korea. The two countries’ Korean patent applications in the field of storage batteries and their management systems are much higher than those in the United States and other countries ranked third.

China: A large number of research projects have focused on improving the comprehensive technical indicators such as the electrical performance, safety performance, and lifespan of single cells. The performance of high-power nickel-metal hydride batteries and lithium-ion batteries has been greatly improved. Judging from the total number of patent applications worldwide, China ranks third in patent applications for pure electric vehicle batteries and its management systems, after Japan and the United States. Judging from the number of domestic patent applications in China, Japan has the largest number of patent applications in China, and well-known Japanese companies such as Panasonic, Toyota, and Sanyo have a large number of high-quality patents in China. Among the domestic companies in China, BYD Automotive has a prominent R&D strength in the field of battery technology for electric vehicles. It focuses on lithium-ion batteries and polymer lithium-ion batteries, and attaches great importance to battery structure and manufacturing methods. BYD Automotive applied for the first Chinese patent for pure electric vehicle battery and its management system as early as 2003. In 2003, it began to make overseas market patent layout for pure electric vehicle battery and its management system. The first overseas application The patent is in the United States.

In the coming years, Japan will be at the forefront of the United States, Europe and other countries in the competition for intellectual property rights in the field of electric vehicles. However, as the electric vehicle industry is in a rapid growth period and many key technologies have not yet emerged mature solutions, the United States and Europe rely on their strong basic research advantages, and it is very likely that they will take the lead in making breakthroughs in certain key technologies and regain competition. Advantage. In addition, the rising stars of the auto industry such as South Korea and China continue to increase investment in R&D for electric vehicles. It is expected that the competitive landscape of electric vehicles in the future will become more complicated.