Toyota to Give Free Access to Hybrid-vehicle Patents
Toyota Motor Corp said it would offer royalty-free access to its hybrid-vehicle technology patents through 2030, as it seeks to expand use of lower emissions vehicles before the auto industry shifts to all-electric cars.
The automaker said it would grant licenses on nearly 24,000 patents on technologies covering hybrid power systems, which comprise motors, power converters and batteries.
“Based on the high volume of inquiries we receive about of vehicle electrification systems from companies that recognize a need to popularize hybrid and other electrified vehicle technologies, now is the time for cooperation,” Toyota Executive Vice President Shigeki Terashi said in a statement on Wednesday.
Hybrid-vehicle technology twins a conventional gasoline engine and electric motor, saving fuel by capturing energy during coasting and breaking and using it to power the motor.
Toyota vehicles account for more than 80 percent of the hybrid vehicle market.