Car industry invests in green innovation

Of all technology fields in the automotive industry, ‘green’ innovations accounted for the largest increase in the number of patent filings, according to a paper released by Thomson Reuters on Thursday.

The data were presented in the  Auto Industry Sets Sights on Alternative Powerreport (requires registration to Thomson Reuters website).

There were 182 percent more green patents filed globally by carmakers in 2011 than in 2006, with 22,255 unique inventions for the last year studied.

Japanese carmakers Toyota and Honda filed the most patents, with 1,901 and 587 respectively.

Denso, General Motors and Panasonic, the supplier of batteries used in Prius cars, were also named as leaders in alternative power research and development.

While carmakers in East Asia are leading the way in terms of green innovation, there is a similar trend in the US, albeit at a lower level, with General Motors being the heaviest investor.

Experts say the findings are a positive step, as they indicate the increasing efforts to find solutions for curbing the environmental impact of conventional cars.

Bob Stembridge, an intellectual property analyst at Thomson Reuters and author of the report, said: “With stringent new fuel economy standards introduced in the US that require global auto manufacturers to double their average mileage requirements, car companies [are] very serious about alternative power.

“The aggressive R&D efforts of some of the leading manufacturers suggest that consumer options for alternative power will grow considerably in the coming decade.”

The Toyota Prius hybrid became the third best-selling car in the world in the first quarter of 2012, indicating the consumer demand for fuel-efficient cars.