You may have missed an interesting piece of news that came out of the recent International Consumer Electronics Show.
Toyota announced that it will share, royalty free through 2020, nearly 6,000 patents it owns globally on hydrogen fuel cell technology. These patent cover fuel cell stacks, high-pressure hydrogen tanks, fuel cell system software control systems and industrial processes involved in producing and supplying hydrogen.
The company said it is doing this to spur development and introduction of innovative fuel cell technologies around the world.
Share ideas
“The first generation hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, launched between 2015 and 2020, will be critical, requiring a concerted effort and unconventional collaboration between automakers, government regulators, academia and energy providers, said Bob Carter, senior vice president, automotive operations, Toyota Motor Sales, USA. “By eliminating traditional corporate boundaries, we can speed the development of new technologies and move into the future of mobility more quickly, effectively and economically.”
Toyota plans to sell its hydrogen-fueled sedan Mirai in the U.S. this fall.
The move is similar to one that took place last year when electric car maker Tesla Motors opened its patent book in hopes of building the market for plug-in electric vehicles.
The biggest obstacles to fuel cells as power for vehicles has been development costs and the lack of a fueling infrastructure.