Ford's Technology Commercialization and Licensing Office
Automakers that offer electric cars
and plug-in hybrids know that higher acceptance of the tech will help all
involved, from encouraging infrastructure to breaking down range anxiety. To
that end, Ford is following Tesla in opening up its electric-car related
patents to competitors, according to Automotive News Europe. There's a crucial
difference though: Ford will still charge a licenseing fee for its patents,
while Tesla opened them up for free.
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"Innovation is our goal,"
Kevin Layden, director of Ford electrification programs, said in a statement.
"The way to provide the best technology is through constant development
and progress. By sharing our research with other companies, we will accelerate
the growth of electrified vehicle technology and deliver even better products
to customers."
In all, Ford holds more than 650
patents and approximately 1,000 pending patent applications related to plug-in
vehicles and hybrids -- the Dearborn-based automaker filed 400 of them in the
last year alone. Among those that it will make available for licensing will
involve regenerative braking, battery run time and life, and a monitoring
system that gives drivers feedback and advice on how to improve fuel economy.
The patents will be offered through Ford's technology commercialization and
licensing office, as well as a non-profit called the AutoHarvest Foundation
which Ford helped found three years ago.
"As an industry, we need to collaborate while we continue to challenge
each other,” Layden added. "By sharing ideas, companies can solve bigger
challenges and help improve the industry."
Specific prices for patents have not been made public as of yet, though a
Ford spokesperson told Automotive News Europe that some patents would cost
hundreds while others would cost thousands.
Time will tell whether Ford and Tesla's decision to open up their patents
for free or for a fee will help other automakers field plug-in hybrids and EVs
to a degree that will be felt in the marketplace. Many analysts have noted,
looking at the last five years, that EVs and hybrids have not grabbed as large
a chunk of the market as was predicted, despite individual models like the
pure-electric Nissan Leaf surpassing expectations.
