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 - 2021)	Premium intelligence on the world's largest companies
Noco Co., Ltd	136	Unlock company profile
Toyota Motor Corp	70	Unlock company profile
Continental AG	62	Unlock company profile
Hyundai Motor Co	57	Unlock company profile
Porsche Automobil Holding SE	51	Unlock company profile
Kia Corp	37	Unlock company profile
Hitachi Ltd	26	Unlock company profile
Honda Motor Co Ltd	24	Unlock company profile
Yazaki Corp	23	Unlock company profile
Ford Motor Co	22	Unlock company profile
Sony Group Corp	22	Unlock company profile
Ripple Industries, LLC	18	Unlock company profile
Toshiba Corp	18	Unlock company profile
Robert Bosch Stiftung GmbH	16	Unlock company profile
Wisk Aero LLC	16	Unlock company profile
Bayerische Motoren Werke AG	14	Unlock company profile
Faurecia SA	14	Unlock company profile
Wobben Properties Gmbh	14	Unlock company profile
ABB Ltd	14	Unlock company profile
SEW-EURODRIVE GmbH & Co KG	13	Unlock company profile
Mazda Motor Corp	12	Unlock company profile
Nissan Motor Co Ltd	12	Unlock company profile
General Electric Co	10	Unlock company profile
Nichicon Corp	10	Unlock company profile
Mercedes-Benz Group AG	10	Unlock company profile
Siemens AG	10	Unlock company profile
Danfoss A/S	10	Unlock company profile
Panasonic Holdings Corp	9	Unlock company profile
Auto-Kabel	9	Unlock company profile
Samsung Group	9	Unlock company profile
Delta Electronics Inc	9	Unlock company profile
Rolls-Royce Holdings Plc	9	Unlock company profile
Ipalco BV	8	Unlock company profile
BYD Co Ltd	8	Unlock company profile
HADAL, INC.	8	Unlock company profile
Shenzhen Deren Electronic Co Ltd	7	Unlock company profile
General Motors Co	7	Unlock company profile
ads-tec Energy PLC	6	Unlock company profile
ThyssenKrupp AG	6	Unlock company profile
Sumitomo Electric Industries Ltd	6	Unlock company profile
Huawei Investment & Holding Co Ltd	6	Unlock company profile
Johnson Controls International Plc	6	Unlock company profile
The French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission	6	Unlock company profile
Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.	5	Unlock company profile
Denso Corp	5	Unlock company profile
Motiv Power Systems, Inc.	5	Unlock company profile
Tata Motors Ltd	5	Unlock company profile
Brunswick Corp	5	Unlock company profile
Suzuki Motor Corp	5	Unlock company profile
Valeo SA	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.

Premium Insights

From

The gold standard of business intelligence.

Blending expert knowledge with cutting-edge technology, GlobalData’s unrivalled proprietary data will enable you to decode what’s happening in your market. You can make better informed decisions and gain a future-proof advantage over your competitors.

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.