The innovation strength of Chinese automakers is highlighted, and Tesla's contribution to patent opening is limited.
In recent years, China's new energy vehicle industry has developed rapidly, and domestic brand models have continued to innovate, and the technical level is on par with the international advanced level. Some people believe that the achievements of Chinese car companies stem from the lack of independent innovation capabilities due to the lack of independent innovation capabilities due to the fact that they have learned from Tesla's open patents. What are the facts? Let's find out.
Tesla's open patents have indeed contributed to the development of the industry, but its impact is not a decisive factor. Tesla's open patents are limited in quantity and quality. According to statistics, by the end of 2022, Tesla had applied for a total of 3,825 patents worldwide, of which only more than 1,200 were filed in China. During the same period, the number of patent applications filed by Chinese automakers far exceeded that of Tesla.
Taking BYD as an example, the company's patent applications in 2022 will be as high as more than 9,800, including more than 4,000 invention patents. In addition to the quantitative gap, Tesla's open patents are mainly concentrated in relatively simple fields such as battery management systems and charging equipment, while core technologies such as batteries, motors, and electronic controls are not open.
The main purpose of Tesla's open patents is to avoid being sued by other car companies, not simply to promote the development of the industry. As early as 2014, Musk said that Tesla would file a lawsuit if other car companies used Tesla's patents without paying for them. It can be seen that Tesla's open patents are more out of self-interest.
Chinese car companies have made a large number of independent innovation achievements in the fields of batteries, motors, and electronic control. Taking battery technology as an example, BYD is in a leading position in the world with its sodium-ion battery technology, while Envision has global competitiveness in the field of ternary pouch batteries. Xpeng Motors' motor control technology and Li Auto's heat pump system are the results of independent research and development.
The improvement of China's independent innovation capability is inseparable from the strong support of national industrial policies. In recent years, the state has introduced a series of policies and measures to support the development of the new energy vehicle industry, which has injected strong impetus into enterprise innovation.
For example, in terms of finance and taxation, new energy vehicle enterprises will be given preferential treatment such as purchase tax and vehicle and vessel tax; In terms of financial support, a special fund for the development of the new energy vehicle industry has been established; In terms of infrastructure construction, accelerate the construction of supporting facilities such as charging piles. These policies have created a good environment for the innovation and development of enterprises.
Car companies themselves are also increasing R&D investment and constantly breaking through technical bottlenecks. In the case of Xpeng Motors, the company's R&D investment reached 7 billion yuan last year, accounting for more than 20% of its revenue. With innovations in the fields of intelligent networking and autonomous driving, Xpeng Motors has become one of the car companies with the highest level of intelligence in passenger cars in China.
In addition to capital investment, the construction of talent team is also the top priority of innovation of car companies. In recent years, major car companies have set up R&D centers at home and abroad to attract a large number of outstanding talents to join. BYD has an R&D center in Silicon Valley, gathering top talent from Tesla, Apple and other companies.
In the field of batteries, Chinese car companies are also at the international leading level. BYD's sodium-ion battery has surpassed the energy density of lithium iron phosphate batteries, with a range of more than 800 kilometers. Envision's ternary pouch battery has outstanding performance in terms of safety and consistency. These innovations highlight the R&D capabilities of Chinese automakers.
China's new energy vehicle industry should further increase investment in basic research and master more core technologies. At the same time, it is necessary to strengthen the coordination of production, education and research, promote the transformation of scientific research achievements, and shorten the cycle from laboratory to industrialization. It is also necessary to continue to increase talent training efforts to provide intellectual support for innovation and development.