The second annual edition of the Inside Green Innovation: Progress Report 2022, from leading intellectual property firm Appleyard Lees, analyses patent filings across several key environmental issues facing the world, including electric vehicle batteries.
The future of electric vehicle batteries could be founded increasingly on solid-state technology, according to a new global innovation report.
The second annual edition of the Inside Green Innovation: Progress Report 2022, from leading intellectual property firm Appleyard Lees, analyses patent filings across several key environmental issues facing the world, including electric vehicle batteries.
The latest report points to a plateauing of patent filings in Li-ion battery technology, while solid-state innovation is rising significantly, with a year-on-year increase in patent activity – mostly driven by Japanese car and electronics manufacturers.
Paul Beynon, Patent Attorney & Appleyard Lees Senior Associate, said: “Annual priority filings in solid-state battery technology went from 75 in 2015 to more than 400 in five years, with Japan dominating the field. That said, there’s life in Li-ion yet, with battery makers shifting their attention to alternative materials.
“Equally, there are recent moves to address the recycling challenges of both solid-state and Li-ion batteries, with new patent applications arising from California.”
Solid-state speeds ahead, but Li-ion lives on
Solid-state battery innovation, as shown by the quantity of patent filings, is led by Japanese car makers including Toyota, Hyundai and Honda. The first Toyota vehicle part-powered by a solid-state battery is scheduled to launch in 2025.
However, the consumer electronics industry in the country is also showing a commitment to the technology, with TDK starting to invest in solid-state batteries.
Market reports reflect the relative growth potential in solid-state battery technology, predicting a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 34.7% to $5,076.99 million in 2027, versus a CAGR of 15.1% for Li-ion to 2026 – though the market value of the latter is forecast to be $85.72 billion.
An emerging innovation trend highlighted by patent activity in Li-ion technology is the recent shift to using lithium iron phosphate (LFP) rather than nickel manganese cobalt (NMC), due to cost and safety issues. Patent filings in LFP, previously peaking in 2012, went up by almost 40% between 2019 and 2020, with South Korean company, LG Energy Solution, the most active.
German company, Robert Bosch, has led the charge in Li-ion patent filings among businesses globally since 2020, likely driven by its joint venture with Volkswagen to expand electric vehicle battery production in Europe.
Recycling innovation suggests more sustainable future for batteries
Tom Gregory, Patent Attorney at Appleyard Lees added: “Though the recycling rate for Li-ion batteries is currently less than 5%, innovation activity at the University of California has led to patent applications for recycling Li-ion battery cathodes and for recycling all solid-state batteries.
“Progress in this area could be vital to ensure the future sustainability of these battery technologies.”
The Inside Green Innovation: Progress Report 2022’s focus on batteries was chosen because of its prominence in the global green innovation conversation, as referenced in the OECD’s and United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Green Innovation Database, a global innovation catalogue that connects needs for solving environmental or climate change problems with sustainable solutions.
*Appleyard Lees’ inaugural Inside Green Innovation: Progress Report 2022 is available to read here.
