By Ayana Marshall, PhD

Electric vehicles (EVs) and electrified roadways represent two major technological advances in sustainable transportation, each with distinct developments. Electric vehicles have become a cornerstone of efforts to reduce emissions, and many countries are adopting EV technologies. This transition has seen continuous growth in innovation, with countries across Europe and the U.S. investing in charging infrastructure and battery technologies to support the increasing number of EVs on the road.
Electrified roadways are an emerging technology designed to support electric vehicles by providing a dynamic charging solution as the vehicles move. Sweden is currently leading this effort, constructing the world’s first permanent electrified road on a section of one the highways, expected to be operational by 2025. This road, among several being tested in Europe, will allow vehicles to charge while driving using one of several technologies, including inductive or conductive systems embedded in the road. Electrified roadways could reduce dependency on large vehicle batteries and further accelerate the transition to electric transport by alleviating range anxiety and reducing the demand for stationary charging.
Patent Trends in Electric Vehicles and Electrified Roadways: A Comparative Analysis

While both electric vehicles (EVs) and electrified roadways represent key innovations in sustainable transportation, their development trajectories, as seen through patent publications, reveal notable differences. Patent publication trends for Electric Vehicles and Electrified Roadways reveal distinct patterns over the past decade. From 2014 to 2022, electric vehicle-related publications steadily increased but show a -3.1% decline in three-year growth, suggesting a recent slowdown.

In contrast, Electrified Roadways has seen a more variable trend, with notable peaks around 2018-2019 and 2023, and a significant 35.6% growth over the last three years. This comparison highlights differing trajectories in patent activity, with electrified roadways showing a marked increase in recent innovations compared to the decreasing trend in electric vehicles.
Top Companies Driving Electrified Roadway Innovation: A Patent Overview

These trends reflect the growing interest in exploring diverse solutions to increase the sustainability features of the transportation sector, and Electrified Roadways have garnered attention from a range of innovators. The patent landscape in this field includes key players such as Beijing Boyang Dingrong Pv Technology Co., Ltd., Zhong Hui Powerise Wireless Power Technology Ltd., Toyota Motor Corporation and Ford Motor Company, with Toyota standing out due to a number of pending applications. Other major contributors include General Motors and Siemens AG. Academic institutions like South China University of Technology and Nanjing University of Technology are also prominent, along with Hevo Incorporated, which is involved in wireless power transfer solutions. Capactech Limited and other organizations complete this landscape of patent holders in the electrified roadway sector.
Building on the Past: Key Innovators through the Lens of Backward Citations

Following the analysis of top companies driving innovation in Electrified Roadways, the data on backward citations further highlights key players in the electric vehicle and roadway sectors. The chart lists the top assignees that appear most frequently in backward citations. Toyota Motor Corporation leads with 20 citations, followed by Ford Motor Company with 14, and Honda Motor Co., Ltd. with 13. Other notable companies include General Motors, WiTricity Corporation, and State Grid Corporation of China, each contributing to significant technological influence through frequent citations. Additional companies such as Hitachi, Ltd., Siemens AG, and Cisco Systems, Inc. are also present, showcasing a wide array of global leaders impacting the development of electric vehicle and roadway technology through their foundational innovations.
Summarizing the Electric Vehicles and Electrified Roadways Landscape
The patent trends for Electric Vehicles and Electrified Roadways reveal a landscape focused on transforming the future of transportation. While electric vehicle innovation shows a recent slowdown, electrified roadways are seeing a surge in new developments. Leading companies such as Beijing Boyang Dingrong Pv Technology Co., Ltd., Zhong Hui Powerise Wireless Power Technology Ltd., Toyota, Ford, and Siemens are driving this innovation, and the backward citation data underscores their technological influence, along with other major players like Honda and WiTricity. Together, these trends and key contributors highlight a path towards creating a more efficient and sustainable transportation infrastructure via dynamic charging solutions.
The data is sourced from the Harrity Analytics Patent Pulse™ Reports on Electric Vehicles and Electrified Roads. For more information about the Patent Pulse™ Report visit our website HERE, download a complimentary Patent Pulse Report HERE, or contact Harrity Analytics HERE.
Resources:
https://thenextweb.com/news/sweden-worlds-first-permanent-e-road-for-ev-charging-while-driving
https://www.electrive.com/2023/05/09/sweden-pioneers-permanent-electrified-road-to-charge-evs-on-the-move/
https://www.popsci.com/technology/sweden-electric-highway/
https://mobilityportal.eu/5-european-countries-projects-electrified-roads/
https://www.purdue.edu/newsroom/2024/Q2/building-the-first-highway-segment-in-the-u-s-that-can-charge-electric-vehicles-big-and-small-as-they-drive/
https://www.archpaper.com/2024/04/electric-charging-roads-next-new-thing/