In 2021, Toyota won a total of 2753 patents at the U.S. Patent Office, with an average daily patent volume of 7.5, surpassing all other automakers and winning the first place in patents for the eighth consecutive year, a figure slightly lower than the 2819 in 2020. Sandra Phillips-Rogers, General Counsel, Chief Legal Officer and Chief Diversity Officer of Toyota Motor North America, said: "We are delighted to be recognized as a global technology leader and the number of patents published is a testament to Toyota's tremendous R&D efforts. ”
Most of the 2,753 patents are used to support vehicle electrification efforts, including the development of electric vehicle batteries, autonomous driving, hardware, software, artificial intelligence, and other mobility-related inventions. Since 2017, Toyota has invested an average of more than $1 million an hour in research and development of new technologies and more than $1 billion in research and development related to autonomous driving and robotics.
In addition, Frederick Mau, Toyota Motor Motor's North American Intellectual Property Advisor and Director of Patent Licensing, said: "This year's list of patent applications demonstrates our efforts in electrification, such as pioneering battery technology and new ideas to support the transformation of Toyota's mobility companies. ”