Toyota makes available nearly 6,000 patents royalty free
Car maker Toyota has made available nearly 6,000 patents relating to hydrogen fuel cells royalty free, in a bid to popularise the manufacturing of hydrogen powered cars.
Speaking at the 2015 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas yesterday (January 5), Bob Carter, senior vice president of automotive operations at Toyota, announced that the car maker will make available 5,680 patents royalty free until 2020.
The portfolio contains 1,970 patents relating to fuel cell stacks, 290 patents covering high-pressure hydrogen tanks, 3,350 software patents and 70 patents directed to hydrogen production and supply.
Toyota will negotiate individual royalty-free licensing agreements with companies wanting to use its patents. The car maker has also made clear that although it may request the use of similar patents owned by the licensee, that will not be a requirement of any deal.
Carter said: “At Toyota we believe that when good ideas are shared, great things can happen.
“The first generation hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, launched between 2015 and 2020, will be critical, requiring a concerted and unconventional collaboration between auto makers, government regulators, academia and energy providers.
“By eliminating traditional corporate boundaries, we can speed [up] the development of new technologies and move into the future of mobility,” he added.
Honda, Chevrolet and Volkswagen have all developed their own models powered by hydrogen fuel cells. Toyota is set to release its own hydrogen powered car, the Toyota Mirai, later this year.
Toyota’s move seems to be an attempt to boost the manufacturing of hydrogen fuelled cars. On its website Toyota states that a “hydrogen-based society is within reach, but we can’t build it on our own. So we’re sharing our patents, to encourage other car companies and energy companies who believe in clean, alternative energy to help bring hydrogen to the world”.
The move is similar to electric car maker Tesla’s efforts to pave the way for the widespread adoption of electric car models. In June, chief executive of Tesla, Elon Musk, announced that it would make all of its patents available to competitors to use in “good faith”.
