Did you know? Toyota led the automotive industry in U.S. patents for the tenth consecutive year in 2023, securing 2500+ patents—a testament to the industry’s relentless pursuit of innovation.
But it’s not just the traditional automotive giants shaping the future. Startups like Applied Intuition, now valued at $6 billion, are reshaping autonomous driving, while Foxconn, best known for manufacturing iPhones, is making a bold entry into the EV market, aiming to produce 40% of the world’s electric vehicles.
The past five years have marked a turning point for automotive industry, with breakthroughs in electric mobility, self-driving technology, AI-powered vehicle manufacturing and connected car systems. As innovation accelerates, intellectual property has become a critical driver of technological leadership. Companies are not just developing cutting-edge technologies—they are strategically protecting their innovations through patents, shaping the trajectory of mobility before it even reaches consumers.
Want to know which automotive companies are leading in innovation? Check out our list of the top automotive companies ranked by their patent count here
In this article, we analyze the automotive patent landscape, spotlighting the most active players, research centers and key inventors. We explore how companies are leveraging patents to protect their innovations, secure market position, and drive the future of mobility.
Discover a wealth of patent insights and trends across various industries – click here to explore now!
What is the patent filing trend in Automotive Industry?
The chart below represents the patent filing trend in US within the Automotive Industry from the year 2010 to 2024.
Are you wondering why there is a drop in patent filing for the last two years? It is because a patent application can take up to 18 months to get published. Certainly, it doesn’t suggest a decrease in the patent filing.
The table below provides the number of applications filed and the number of patents granted from the year 2019 to 2025.
| Year | Applications Filed in Automotive Industry | Patents Granted in Automotive Industry |
| 2025 | – | 2838 |
| 2024 | 23170 | 62211 |
| 2023 | 53714 | 58231 |
| 2022 | 74024 | 60043 |
| 2021 | 77252 | 60552 |
| 2020 | 77981 | 65868 |
| 2019 | 82634 | 66256 |
What is the Patent Legal Status of Automotive Patents?
The chart illustrates the legal status distribution of patents in the automotive industry from 2019 to 2024.
Key companies filing patents in Automotives
The chart below showcases the leading 15 companies actively involved in research and development in automotive industry.
The table below shows the number of patents assigned to the leading 25 companies involved in the automotive industry.
| Leading Companies | Patents |
| Toyota | 25447 |
| Hyundai | 16227 |
| Ford | 13507 |
| Kia Corporation | 12843 |
| Honda Motor | 11539 |
| LG | 10684 |
| General Motors | 9377 |
| Samsung | 7965 |
| Denso | 6003 |
| Robert Bosch | 5887 |
| General Electric | 5148 |
| Panasonic | 4809 |
| Mitsubishi | 4539 |
| Sumitomo | 4152 |
| Rolls-Royce | 3896 |
| BMW | 3546 |
| Hitachi | 3401 |
| Volvo | 3004 |
| IBM | 2827 |
| CATL | 2804 |
| Safran | 2658 |
| ZF Friedrichshafen | 2653 |
| Boeing | 2618 |
| Nissan Motor | 2568 |
| Magna International | 2557 |
Where are the Research Centers of Automotive Industry patents located?
The chart below represents the major research and development centers contributing towards innovations and technological advancements in the automotive industry.
Despite being a powerhouse in automotive research and development, the United States only has two companies in the top 15 global leaders in the automotive industry.
Who are the leading innovators in the Automotive Industry?
This chart highlights the top inventors in the automotive industry based on published patents from 2019 to 2024. The ranking showcases key innovators shaping technological advancements in the sector.
The table below shows the number of patents assigned to the top 25 inventors involved in innovations and technological advancements in the automotive industry.
| Inventor Name | Patents |
| Stuart C Salter | 681 |
| Lee Seungmin | 605 |
| Seo Hanbyul | 589 |
| Wang Peng | 468 |
| Aed M Dudar | 414 |
| Paul K Dellock | 395 |
| Bor Z Jang | 332 |
| Kim Soenghun | 319 |
| Charles Howard Cella | 305 |
| John R Van Wiemeersch | 300 |
| Kapil Gulati | 294 |
| David Brian Glickman | 281 |
| Mohammad Omar Faruque | 273 |
| Johnathan Andrew Line | 272 |
| Sarbajit K Rakshit | 267 |
| Dean M Jaradi | 262 |
| Li Wei | 260 |
| SM Iskander Farooq | 253 |
| Lei Wang | 245 |
| Li Junyi | 244 |
| Anil Agiwal | 244 |
| Scott T Christensen | 231 |
| Lee Chul-Haeng | 221 |
| Haizu Jin | 220 |
| Jeong-O Mun | 217 |
How Has Patent Litigation Evolved in the Automotive Industry?
This chart illustrates the rising trend of litigation cases in the automotive industry over the past five years, highlighting the growing IP disputes shaping the sector.
Patent litigation in the automotive industry has surged, peaking at 276 cases in 2024, driven by competition in EVs, autonomous tech and battery innovations, signaling increased IP enforcement.
Who Are the Most Active Plaintiffs in Automotive Patent Litigation?
This chart highlights the top companies driving patent litigation in the automotive industry from 2019 to 2024, reflecting key IP enforcement trends.
Samsung and Netlist each filed 20 patent lawsuits in the automotive space, reflecting growing IP enforcement around memory and semiconductor technologies critical to EVs and connected vehicles. Notably, several Chinese EV and battery firms also appear among top plaintiffs, signalling intensifying global competition.
Which Companies Face the Most Patent Lawsuits in the Automotive Industry?
This chart highlights the most frequently sued companies in automotive patent litigation from 2019 to 2024, revealing key targets of IP disputes.
Samsung is both a top enforcer and the most sued company in automotive patent litigation, reflecting its high-stakes battle in automotive electronics and AI innovation.
Who Are the Top Patent Licensees in the Automotive Industry?
This chart highlights the top organizations and companies licensing automotive patents from 2019 to 2024, revealing key players adopting external innovations.
This chart flips expectations—government agencies, not automakers, top the list of automotive patent licensees. Leading by a huge margin, the U.S. Department of Energy has licensed over 1,600 patents since 2019, reflecting its push to fast-track innovations in EVs, battery tech, and clean transportation. This is more than 5x the count of the next key licensee—the National Science Foundation (NSF)—and far ahead of traditional automotive players.
Which Companies Are Top Licensors in the Automotive Industry?
This chart highlights the top licensors in the automotive industry from 2019 to 2024, showcasing key players driving technology transfers through patents.
Which Companies Are Prioritizing Expedited Patent Examinations in the Automotive Industry?
This chart highlights the top companies filing for expedited patent examinations in the automotive industry from 2019 to 2024.
Ford is accelerating innovation at record speed, filing over 870 expedited patents—more than the next two companies combined!
Which Companies Are Leading in Patent Non-Publication Requests?
This chart highlights the top companies filing non-publication requests in the automotive industry from 2019 to 2024, revealing those keeping patents confidential.
Amazon leads the secrecy race with 1,041 non-publication requests, signaling a strategy to conceal innovations until commercial launch. Companies like Zoox, Waymo and Apple also prioritize stealth, likely in autonomous driving and AI-powered mobility.
Which Automotive Patents Have the Highest Continuity Filings?
This table highlights automotive patents with the most continuity applications, including Continuation-in-Part (CIP), Continuation, and Divisional filings. A high continuity count often signals valuable inventions with extended R&D and strong IP protection strategies.
| Publication Number | Patent Count |
| US10992185B2 | 156 |
| US12166363B2 | 155 |
| US11502551B2 | 154 |
| US11035940B2 | 120 |
| US2024028031A1 | 61 |
| US11796998B2 | 60 |
| US11358615B2 | 57 |
| US2024370596A1 | 51 |
| US2023252382A1 | 47 |
| US2023153722A1 | 44 |
Having explored the latest trends from 2019–2024, let’s now turn our attention to the 2007–2018 period—a time when key automotive technologies were taking shape, influencing the trajectory of future innovations.
Evolution of Automotive Technology: 2003-2018
The chart below showcases the technology through the years 2003 to 2018 for the Automotive Industry
Technology Overview of Automotive Patents
The technology analysis of patents related to automotive industry explores the diverse and evolving nature of innovations within the sector.
The patents have been classified into distinct technological categories such as Ancillary Vehicle System, Battery Electric Vehicles and Connected Vehicles with each representing key areas of innovation while serving as blueprints for technological progress in the domain.
This classification aids in creating a roadmap for understanding technological developments in the sector as well as assists in efficient analysis, trend identification and improved understanding of dynamic nature of the automotive industry.
Technology Overview of Key Companies in Automotive Industry
This analysis provides an insight into areas of focus and innovations of companies thereby offering comprehensive snapshot of their contributions to the dynamic landscape of automotive sector.
The technology overview reveals a focus on diverse areas such as Vehicle Controlling System, Hybrid Electric Vehicles and Vehicle Navigation System.
Leading companies in USA filing patents in Automotives
The chart below depicts the distribution of patents owned by the 15 leading companies within United States of America involved in the automotive industry.
Noticeably, Ford Motors is the prominent company in the competitive landscape of automotive industry with highest patent count of 9659 signifying its immense contribution in the industry. General Motors and Honda Motor follow Ford Motors in the patent count of 7218 and 1590 respectively.
Technology Overview of Key Companies in USA
The technological categorization of patents ranging from Vehicle Controlling System, Vehicle Safety System and Vehicle Design offers a comprehensive overview of United States of America’s contributions towards the automotive sector.
Leading companies in Japan filing patents in Automotives
The chart below depicts the distribution of patents owned by the 15 leading companies within Japan involved in the automotive industry.
Evidently, Toyota is the prominent company in the competitive landscape of automotive industry with highest patent count of 10335 signifying its immense contribution in the industry. Honda Motor and Denso follow Toyota in the patent count of 5314 and 4506 respectively.
Technology Overview of Key Companies in Japan
The technological categorization of patents ranging from Ancillary Vehicle Systems, Battery Electric Vehicles and Electric Motor offers a comprehensive overview of Japan’s contributions towards the automotive sector.
Leading companies in Germany filing patents in Automotives
The chart below depicts the distribution of patents owned by the 15 leading companies within Germany involved in the automotive industry.
Clearly, Robert Bosch is the prominent company in the competitive landscape of automotive industry with highest patent count of 3992 signifying its immense contribution in the industry. BMW and Porsche follow Robert Bosch in the patent count of 1439 and 1286 respectively.
Samsung, a major player in consumer electronics, also contributes significantly to the automotive industry, particularly in Germany. Their involvement likely lies in developing innovative solutions related to connectivity, autonomous driving and in-vehicle experiences which are transforming the automotive landscape.
Technology Overview of Key Companies in Germany
The technological categorization of patents ranging from Vehicle Safety System, Vehicle Navigation System and Hybrid Electric Vehicles offers a comprehensive overview of Germany’s contributions towards the automotive sector.
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