The Nikkei reported on April 4 that a total of 9,862 patents were valid as of the end of last year in the field of innovative battery development for EV and renewable energy. “China owned 5,486 out of the total, followed by Japan (1,192), the United States (719), South Korea (595), and France (128),” it said.
These days, China’s sodium-ion battery technologies, in particular, are developing rapidly. In general, sodium-ion batteries are 30 percent to 40 percent cheaper than lithium-ion batteries although smaller in capacity. The Chinese government is focusing on the research so that better sodium-ion batteries can lead to more use of renewable energy.
The Nikkei also reported that China scored 4,930 points at that point in time with the quality of patents reflected. “The second and third are the United States (2,630) and Japan (2,260), respectively,” it said, adding, “Given that Japan held 40 percent of EV battery-related patents from 2014 to 2018, China’s presence in this field is growing rapidly.”
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