Patents Soar for Auto Propulsion Technology

The number of patents filed worldwide for automotive propulsion technology multiplied sixfold to 12,000 between 2009 and mid-2014, according to Thomson Reuters.

The business research unit says the surge has been fueled by anticipated U.S. fuel economy standards that will demand an average fuel efficiency of 54.5 mpg by the 2025 model year.

Toyota Motor Corp. garnered more than 7,000 patents during the period, according to Thomson Reuters. Toyota joins four other Japanese companies (Denso, Honda, Mitsubishi and Seiko Epson) on the top-10 list. General Motors Co., with about 3,000 patents, ranks seventh.

The analysis says Hyundai Motor Co. is the fastest-rising patentee. Its patent assignments soared from fewer than 500 in 2010 to nearly 1,200 in 2013, propelling it to third on the top-10 list.

Thomson Reuters says patents related to telematics and connected-car technologies also are on the rise. But patents for navigation, handling, safety/security and entertainment have been relatively flat.