Characteristics and key trends of global electric vehicle technology development: A multi-method patent analysis

Abstract

To grasp the key characteristics and trends of the rapid development of electric vehicle (EV) technology and to study the development trajectory and main holders of EV technology, this study analyzes the patents related to EVs from 1970 to 2016. In this study, three types of information technologies—text mining, clustering, and social network analysis—are adopted to collate and analyze patent data. We find that solving the problem of how to safely and quickly charge a battery through a charging facility and distribute the energy to each storage unit is a highly concerning topic in the field of EV technology, involving the technology of batteries, charging facilities, and power control systems. The research frontier of EV technology is wireless charging technology. Finally, the major holders of EV technology in terms of patent holdings and cooperation are analyzed.