A worldwide overview of greener vehicle patents
Part of a series of short reports looking at the worldwide patenting of green technologies. This report focuses on the low emission vehicle patent landscape.
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In June 2019, the UK became the first major economy to set a legally binding target to reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. In November 2020 the UK government released a ten point plan for a green industrial revolution. Innovation has a role in helping to achieve carbon net zero and innovation may be reflected in global patenting trends.
This report is part of a series of studies relating to the technologies covered within the UK government’s ten point plan for a green industrial revolution. This report looks at the worldwide patent landscape in relation to low emission vehicles, known as greener vehicles. This is a broad field and covers automobiles, public transport, shipping and aviation. This report studies greener vehicles, as well as focusing specifically on the Jet Zero concept (zero emission aircraft).
The purpose of this report is to help show where in the world patenting activity is occurring. It also shows who owns these patents, as well as how patenting activity has varied over time. This report looks both at the worldwide patent landscape, as well as focusing on the patent landscape within the UK.
There has been an increase in patenting activity from 2001-2018. This may be reflective of worldwide attempts to develop more environmentally friendly modes of transport. The UK appears to be performing well, where the number of active patent families by UK-based owners has increased from 2001-2018. Our research shows that the UK is more specialised in greener vehicles that might be expected given the absolute levels of patenting in the UK.
Patenting activity in the Jet Zero area is accelerating, and UK companies appear to be playing a role in this. For example, Rolls-Royce has increased its patent portfolio in this area in recent year. Of the top ten patenting countries, our research shows that the UK is specialised for Jet Zero technologies.