The power industry continues to be a hotbed of patent innovation. Activity is driven by declining battery prices and total costs of ownership, increases in fleet electrification, and the enactment of emissions targets, and growing importance of technologies such as electric vehicle charging systems. In the last three years alone, there have been over 656,000 patents filed and granted in the power industry, according to GlobalData’s report on Electric vehicles in power: DC fast charging EVs. Buy the report here.

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According to GlobalData’s Technology Foresights, which uses over 70,000 patents to analyze innovation intensity for the power industry, there are 40+ innovation areas that will shape the future of the industry.

DC fast charging EVs is a key innovation area in electric vehicles

An on-board charger is located inside an EV and converts AC power into DC power before distributing it to charge the vehicle’s battery. DC fast charging bypasses the on-board charger and directly charges the battery, significantly reducing the time required to charge an EV. Charging times vary depending on battery size, dispenser output, and other factors, but most vehicles can get an 80% charge in about or under an hour using most currently available DC fast chargers. 

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 80+ companies, spanning technology vendors, established power companies, and up-and-coming start-ups engaged in the development and application of DC fast charging EVs.

Key players in DC fast charging EVs – a disruptive innovation in the power industry

‘Application diversity’ measures the number of applications identified for each patent. It broadly splits companies into either ‘niche’ or ‘diversified’ innovators.

‘Geographic reach’ refers to the number of countries each patent is registered in. It reflects the breadth of geographic application intended, ranging from ‘global’ to ‘local’.

Patent volumes related to DC fast charging EVs

Company Total patents (2010 - 2022) Premium intelligence on the world's largest companies
Noco 136 Unlock Company Profile
Toyota Motor 70 Unlock Company Profile
Continental 62 Unlock Company Profile
Hyundai Motor 57 Unlock Company Profile
Porsche Automobil 51 Unlock Company Profile
Kia 37 Unlock Company Profile
Hitachi 26 Unlock Company Profile
Honda Motor 24 Unlock Company Profile
Yazaki 23 Unlock Company Profile
Ford Motor 22 Unlock Company Profile
Sony Group 22 Unlock Company Profile
Ripple Industries 18 Unlock Company Profile
Toshiba 18 Unlock Company Profile
Robert Bosch Stiftung 16 Unlock Company Profile
Wisk Aero 16 Unlock Company Profile
Bayerische Motoren Werke 14 Unlock Company Profile
Faurecia 14 Unlock Company Profile
Wobben Properties 14 Unlock Company Profile
ABB 14 Unlock Company Profile
SEW-EURODRIVE 13 Unlock Company Profile
Mazda Motor 12 Unlock Company Profile
Nissan Motor 12 Unlock Company Profile
General Electric 10 Unlock Company Profile
Nichicon 10 Unlock Company Profile
Mercedes-Benz Group 10 Unlock Company Profile
Siemens 10 Unlock Company Profile
Danfoss 10 Unlock Company Profile
Panasonic 9 Unlock Company Profile
Auto-Kabel 9 Unlock Company Profile
Samsung Group 9 Unlock Company Profile
Delta Electronics 9 Unlock Company Profile
Rolls-Royce 9 Unlock Company Profile
Ipalco 8 Unlock Company Profile
BYD 8 Unlock Company Profile
HADAL 8 Unlock Company Profile
Shenzhen Deren Electronic 7 Unlock Company Profile
General Motors 7 Unlock Company Profile
ads-tec Energy 6 Unlock Company Profile
ThyssenKrupp 6 Unlock Company Profile
Sumitomo Electric Industries 6 Unlock Company Profile
Huawei Investment & Holding 6 Unlock Company Profile
Johnson Controls International 6 Unlock Company Profile
The French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission 6 Unlock Company Profile
Semiconductor Energy Laboratory 5 Unlock Company Profile
Denso 5 Unlock Company Profile
Motiv Power Systems 5 Unlock Company Profile
Tata Motors 5 Unlock Company Profile
Brunswick 5 Unlock Company Profile
Suzuki Motor 5 Unlock Company Profile
Valeo 4 Unlock Company Profile

Source: GlobalData Patent Analytics

Noco is the leading patent filer in DC fast charging EVs, followed by Toyota Motor and Continental

Toyota Motor designs, manufactures, assembles and sells passenger cars, minivans, trucks, and related vehicle parts and accessories and is also involved in the development of intelligent transport systems. Toyota announced its plan to invest $35bn into battery-powered electric vehicles and roll out 30 models by 2030. The company also announced its partnership with ChargePoint for EV charging ahead of the US launch of the bZ4X electric SUV.

In terms of application diversity, Hyundai Motor Group, Goldman Sachs, Semiconductor Energy Laboratory, and Siemens are the leading patent filers in DC fast charging EVs. Based on geographic reach, Sony, Toshiba, Noco, SEW-EURODRIVE, Danfoss, and Nichicon are the leading patent filers.  

To further understand the key themes and technologies disrupting the power industry, access GlobalData’s latest thematic research report on Electric Vehicles (EV) in Power.

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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.