China’s EV Charging Patents Are Nearly 3 Times of the United States

On May 4th, according to a report released by Patent Result, Chinese companies have submitted more patent applications related to electric vehicle charging and battery swapping compared to competitors from any other country. They have made significant progress in key technologies, making the charging experience faster and more convenient.

The report states that from 2010 to 2022, Chinese companies submitted 41,011 patent applications in these fields. Although there are not many top-ranking Chinese companies, the large number of participants from China in this field resulted in a total number of applications submitted that is about 50% more than Japanese companies.

Japanese companies rank second with 26,962 patents. Germany ranks third with 16,340 patents. The United States has 14,325 patents and ranks fourth. South Korea ranks fifth with 11,281 patents.

Many Chinese companies seem to be focused on faster charging times, which is a key step in promoting the widespread adoption of electric vehicles.

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Among accumulated patent applications, 17% are related to fast charging technology and 10% are related to battery replacement technology, far higher than the 1% to 3% of Japanese, German and American automakers. Other key areas of focus for Chinese companies include the design and control of charging stations, power transmission, and wireless charging.

Hiroto Suzuki, Managing Partner of the Tokyo office of consulting firm Arthur D. Little, stated: “The electric vehicle market is rapidly maturing in China, leading to increased competition among companies. The convenience of charging has become an important way to differentiate between different car models.”