Ford Leads in Auto Patents in U.S.

Ford Motor Co. says its employees earned about 1,500 patents in the U.S. this year, up 25% from the total in 2015 and more than any other carmaker. The company added 3,200 patents worldwide in 2016.

The carmaker says worldwide patent applications by its employees surged 40% to a record 8,000 this year. Ford attributes the growth to the auto industry’s push into such technologies as electrification, connectivity, autonomous vehicles and alternative-mobility systems such as ride sharing services.

This year’s patent applications have come from some 5,500 employees, including more than 2,200 first-time inventors, according to the company.