Toyota Pushes EV Tech With Open Sourcing
Toyota is taking an open-source approach to the promotion of its vehicle electrification technologies.
It is granting royalty-free licenses for approximately 23,740 patents it holds on electric vehicle components and offering technical support to other automakers using Toyota components in their EVs’ powertrains. It claims the aim of this approach is to make EV adoption “widespread”.
Included in the patents being offered royalty-free are 5,680 that Toyota has already been offering for components for its fuel-cell EVs since January 2015. The patents include 2,590 for electric motors, 2,020 for power control units, 7,550 for system controls, 1,320 for engine transaxles, 2,200 for chargers, and 2,380 for fuel cells. Some of the patents are pending. The grant period begins now and expires in late 2030.
The technical support for other automakers will include guidance on “fuel efficiency, power output, and quietness” and be provided for a fee, according to a statement. Toyota executive vice-president Shigeki Terashi said: “Now is the time for cooperation. If the number of electrified vehicles accelerates significantly in the next ten years they will become standard; we hope to play a role in supporting that process.”
