Royalty-free basis until 2020.
By Raif Karerat
WASHINGTON, DC: In a shock move, Toyota has announced that it will give away thousands of patents for its fuel cell cars in an effort to galvanize the fledgling industry.
Competitors will be invited to use Toyota’s hydrogen fuel cell patents until 2020, which the Japanese automaker hopes will encourage other car manufacturers to delve into the hydrogen-powered market.
Toyota revealed that about 5,680 patent licenses will be available to other automakers on a royalty-free basis. Of the patents being desensitized, 1,970 pertain to fuel cell stacks while 3,350 are associated with fuel cell system control technology.
Another 290 patents deal with high-pressure hydrogen tanks and 70 more are directly related to hydrogen stations, which are analogous to gas pumps for combustion powered vehicles and are an integral part of any future involving hydrogen fuel cell driven cars.
“By allowing royalty-free use of FCV-related patent licenses, Toyota is going one step further as it aims to promote the widespread use of FCVs and actively contribute to the realization of a hydrogen-based society,” said Bob Carter, Senior Vice President of Toyota U.S.A., during an address at the Consumer Electronics Expo in Las Vegas.
Fuel cell vehicles have long been considered the pinnacle of green automotive technology since they are powered by chemical reactions that produce nothing more harmful than water as a byproduct. However, a limited driving range and a shortfall of refueling stations have both served as serious obstacles to universal support for fuel cell technology, which could eventually play a crucial role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and curbing global warming.
It was not so long ago that Toyota was instrumental in facilitating the widespread adoption of hybrid vehicles by similarly licensing relevant patents. However, 2015 marks the first time the company has made its patents available free of charge. Toyota’s decision is reminiscent of Elon Musk’s bold play with Tesla Motors last year, when he announced any and all competitors could access Tesla’s cache of innovative patents under an open-source-inspired model.
Toyota’s announcement comes after debuting the world’s first mass market fuel cell car– the Mirai sedan– on home turf in Japan. The car’s name means “future” in Japanese and will be released to Europe and the United States later this year.
1 Comment
My congratulation to Toyota on the release of patents for their hydrogen hybrid vehicle. This will go far in moving the technology ahead. Hopefully, we will have some strong innovations that will lead to real break through. I wonder what will happen if someone makes a real break through, but it is not interested in making hybrid hydrogen cars. If I am not mistaken with Tesla it was in good faith was their stipulation. Toyota made a bad decision and is only interested in dragging other crabs into the pot that is beginning to boil. Any technology outside of hydrogen cars it seems is not allowed under released patents. There also the time limit before paying royalty.
Question: Can someone ref EV RULES-Are we taking prisoners?
They have now step forward announcing the enemy is Tesla by attempting to copying some of their strategies. The release of patents just slighted and their announcement of charging, sorry filling, stations in the north east. I wonder if they will build them going from east to west coast and Maine to the Florida, Keys. Toyota is continuing to burn their resources, time and industry leadership position on a bad decision cause by a lost of face. I being from the island of Jamaica W.I., would just say irie, for every dog has his day. Toyota are your best days a thing of the pass? Don’t worry their is another company in Bavaria that doesn’t like the same guy. Sorry Elon. :-) LoL
Hey is the EV revolution taking prisoner or not?
————-“The Revolution will not be televised”, but it will be Electrified———-
——As I say you can pay for the Evolution or Jump straight to the Revolution–
———-Hybrid lose because EV RULES —The EV Revolution has begun——-