Lithium-Ion Battery Solid Electrolyte Patent Landscape
Lithium-Ion Battery Solid Electrolyte Patent Landscape in 2026
Toyota Motor Corporation dominates a moderately concentrated field, holding 72 patent families — more than double the next-ranked filer — while the top five applicants together account for 24% of the hundred largest filers’ combined total. Annual volume has eased from its 2023 peak, though multi-year growth across the recent window remains positive, signalling a field at or near maturity rather than in decline.
Toyota leads a moderately concentrated but globally diverse field
Toyota Motor Corporation occupies the clear leadership position with 72 patent families, followed by I-TEN (34), Idemitsu Kosan (31), Sumitomo Chemical (31), and the French Commissariat à l’Énergie Atomique (CEA) at 27. The gap between Toyota and the second-ranked applicant is substantial, reflecting sustained, targeted investment in all-solid-state cell technology.
The top five filers collectively hold 24% of the hundred largest filers’ combined total, indicating moderate concentration. Beyond that tier, the field broadens quickly across automakers, chemical companies, materials specialists, and university research foundations, preventing any single player from monopolising the space.
| # | Applicant | Patent families | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Toyota Motor Corporation | 72 | |
| 2 | I-TEN | 34 | |
| 3 | Idemitsu Kosan Co., Ltd. | 31 | |
| 4 | Sumitomo Chemical Co., Ltd. | 31 | |
| 5 | French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) | 27 | |
| 6 | Colorado State University Research Foundation | 22 | |
| 7 | Robert Bosch GmbH | 21 | |
| 8 | JX NIPPON MINING & METALS CORP | 20 | |
| 9 | AESC Japan Ltd. | 19 | |
| 10 | BYD Co., Ltd. | 17 |
| # | Applicant | Patent families | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | Central Glass Co., Ltd. | 16 | |
| 12 | Honeycomb Battery Company | 15 | |
| 13 | Ford Global Technologies LLC | 15 | |
| 14 | Solid Energies Inc. | 14 | |
| 15 | GM Global Technology Operations LLC | 14 | |
| 16 | Ohara Inc. | 14 | |
| 17 | Toyota Motor Europe NV/SA | 13 | |
| 18 | Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) | 13 | |
| 19 | University of Maryland | 12 | |
| 20 | Graphenix Development Inc. | 12 |
Toyota’s position, reinforced by co-filings across its Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America and Toyota Motor. Europe subsidiaries, signals a coordinated, multi-jurisdiction IP strategy that new entrants will need to design around carefully. Idemitsu Kosan and Sumitomo Chemical — materials suppliers rather than cell makers — illustrate that upstream chemistry is a contested battleground in its own right.
Filings from approximately 2024 onward will be under-counted due to standard patent-publication lag; apparent softening in the most recent periods should not be interpreted as a market retreat. Longer-window growth, applicant concentration, and technology-route coverage are therefore more reliable signals than the latest-year bar alone.
Activity peaked in 2023; cell-level patents overwhelmingly dominate the technology mix
The filing trend and technology-composition charts together show a field that surged to a 2023 high and is now consolidating, with invention almost entirely anchored in cell and electrode engineering rather than adjacent enabling sciences.
Annual filing trend
Annual filings climbed from 61 families in 2017, spiked to 94 in 2019, recovered to 126 in 2023 — the highest year on record — then moderated to 86 in 2024 and 56 in 2025 to date. The 2024–2025 figures are subject to publication lag and likely understate true activity; the 2023 peak marks the clearest inflection point. A 7% growth rate across the recent multi-year window confirms the field is still expanding on a cumulative basis even as the annual rate has eased from the 2023 high.
↗ Hover for values · click a bar to ask EurekaTechnology composition
H01M (batteries, cells and fuel cells) accounts for the dominant share of IPC records by a wide margin, reflecting that solid-electrolyte patents are primarily drafted as cell-level inventions. H01B (cables, conductors and insulators) is the second-largest adjacent branch, followed by C01G (compounds of other metals), H01G (capacitors), and C01B (non-metallic elements and inorganic compounds). Polymer and coating classes (C08G, C08J, C23C) each hold modest but non-trivial shares, pointing to emerging surface-engineering and binder-chemistry sub-streams.
↗ Hover for values · click a bar to ask EurekaHighly cited patent families surfaced by the query
Citation-heavy patent families returned by the query. Use this section as citation context, not as a curated list of the most topic-specific patents.
Solid-state electrolyte and lithium-ion battery
A solid-state electrolyte of a lithium-ion battery is provided. The lithium-ion battery has a negative electrode including a lithium-containing material in contact with the solid-state electrolyte. The solid-state electrolyte includes a multiple-doping material with a chemical formula of Li<sub>x</sub>Ti<sub>y</sub>M<sub>m</sub>(PO<sub>4</sub>)<sub>3</sub>… (excerpt from the patent abstract)
| # | Patent | Citations |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Materials for solid state electrolytes and protect… | 399 |
| 2 | Low resistance rechargeable lithium-ion battery | 159 |
| 3 | Lithium ion conductor and all solid rechargeable l… | 151 |
| 4 | Negative electrode mixture and all-solid lithium-i… | 124 |
| 5 | 复合固态电解质膜、制备方法及锂离子电池 | 123 |
| 6 | Lithium-ion battery and its manufacturing method | 121 |
| 7 | Silicon-tin oxynitride glassy composition and use … | 116 |
| 8 | Getters for thin film battery hermetic package | 112 |
Ranked by total forward citations. Citation counts favour older and broadly cited patent families, and broad or adjacent patents may appear when they match the search scope. Treat this section as citation context, not as a curated list of the most topic-specific patents. Some patent titles may be shown in their original, non-English language where an accurate translation could not be guaranteed.
What the competitive structure means for R&D investment decisions
Four structural observations — maturity stage, concentration tier, collaboration patterns, and jurisdiction coverage — shape where differentiated R&D can still create defensible IP.
Field is plateauing near its 2023 peak
The lifecycle evidence places this technology at the Maturity stage: annual filings have plateaued near the 2023 high of 126 families, and the recent-window growth rate of 7% is positive but moderate. Teams entering now face crowded core claims in cell and electrode architecture; the highest-value white space lies in adjacent enabling branches rather than the H01M core. Incremental improvements to known electrolyte chemistries carry elevated freedom-to-operate risk.
Maturity stageOne dominant player; a broad, accessible mid-tier
Toyota Motor Corporation holds 72 patent families — roughly twice the count of each of the next three filers — creating a pronounced leadership gap. However, the mid-tier (ranks 2–20) is populated by a diverse mix of chemical suppliers, OEMs, startups, and universities from multiple countries, meaning no single bloc controls the field below the Toyota layer. Challengers with focused chemistry or manufacturing-process differentiation can still build defensible positions in the second tier.
Moderate concentrationToyota ecosystem dominates co-filing; university–industry pairs are active
The most active co-filing pair is Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America with the University of Maryland, sharing 17 joint families — the largest single collaboration link in the corpus. Toyota Motor Corporation and Toyota Motor Europe account for 16 joint families, reflecting intra-group IP alignment. Colorado State University Research Foundation and Prieto Battery share 4 families, while Idemitsu Kosan co-files with Chiba University (2) and AIST (1). These pairings indicate that academic–industry alliances around ionic-conductor chemistry and deposition processes are a key sourcing channel for foundational patents.
University–industry alliancesUS leads filings; China, PCT, Japan, and Europe all strongly represented
The United States is the leading jurisdiction by patent records, followed by China, WIPO (PCT), Japan, and Europe (EPO). South Korea, Taiwan, and India round out a genuinely global filing footprint. The breadth of PCT filings signals that leading applicants are pursuing multi-jurisdictional protection, raising the cost of designing around core patents. New entrants should assess freedom to operate across at least the US, China, Japan, and EPO jurisdictions simultaneously.
Multi-jurisdiction riskGo beyond the landscape: Eureka’s TRIZ Solution agent breaks down an R&D problem and returns patented concept solutions, each with a technical approach and cited patent & literature evidence.
| Applicant | Collaborator | Co-filings |
|---|---|---|
| Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc. | University of Maryland | 17 |
| Toyota Motor Corporation | Toyota Motor Europe NV/SA | 16 |
| Colorado State University Research Foundation | Prieto Battery, Inc. | 4 |
| Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc. | University of Maryland, College Park | 4 |
| JX Nippon Mining & Metals Corporation | JX Advanced Metals Corporation | 3 |
| Toyota Motor Corporation | Toyota Industries Corporation | 2 |
| Idemitsu Kosan Co., Ltd. | Chiba University | 2 |
| Toyota Motor Corporation | Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd. | 1 |
| Idemitsu Kosan Co., Ltd. | National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) | 1 |
| Robert Bosch GmbH | Robert Bosch Battery Systems GmbH | 1 |
Co-filing pairs, ranked by the number of jointly-filed patent families.
Toyota dominates cell-level patents; Idemitsu Kosan surges in materials chemistry
The two cards below profile the top-ranked and most momentum-positive applicants based on patent-family counts, technology focus, and recent filing trajectories.
Toyota Motor Corporation
Toyota Motor Corporation holds 72 patent families — the largest position in the corpus by a substantial margin. Its technology focus is concentrated in H01M 10 (battery and cell systems, 50 families) and H01M 4 (electrode materials, 33 families), with secondary coverage in B60L 58 (electric vehicle propulsion integration). The momentum signal shows a ‘new entrant’ trend flag for its recent filing window, suggesting the most recently counted families represent a fresh cluster rather than a long-running linear ramp — consistent with Toyota’s publicly known push into all-solid-state vehicle batteries. Its intra-group collaborations with Toyota Motor Europe and Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America extend effective IP coverage across multiple jurisdictions.
families: 72Idemitsu Kosan Co., Ltd.
Idemitsu Kosan holds 31 patent families and, like Toyota, carries a ‘new entrant’ momentum flag for its most recent filing window, indicating a recently accelerated or newly counted cluster of activity. Its technology focus spans H01M 10 (27 families), H01M 4 (23 families), and notably H01B 1 (cables, conductors and insulators, 13 families) — the last distinguishing it from peers focused purely on cell architecture and pointing to proprietary ionic-conductor material platforms. A co-filing relationship with Chiba University and AIST signals active academic sourcing for foundational chemistry. As a petroleum and materials company pivoting toward solid-electrolyte supply, Idemitsu represents a credible upstream materials challenger to Toyota’s cell-level dominance.
families: 31| Applicant | Recent (3 yrs) | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| Toyota Motor Corporation | 25 | ▲ new entrant |
| I-TEN | 1 | ▼ -97% |
| Idemitsu Kosan Co., Ltd. | 17 | ▲ new entrant |
| JX Nippon Mining & Metals Corporation | 6 | ▼ -54% |
| Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc. | 3 | ▼ -84% |
Under-served branches adjacent to the H01M core
Several IPC classes appear at low relative density within this corpus. They are observations of sparsity; where a branch also has plausible technical value and a realistic entry path, that case is noted explicitly.
H01B · Ionic conductors as engineered cable/insulator structures
H01B (cables, conductors and insulators) is the second-largest adjacent branch at 83 records — roughly 8% of the H01M record count — yet remains notably sparse given the direct relevance of ionic-conductor wire and thin-film architectures to solid-state cell assembly. Most H01B activity here is concentrated among a few filers (notably Idemitsu Kosan and Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America). Teams developing novel electrolyte deposition or solid-conductor interconnect geometries could find less-crowded claim space in H01B sub-classes, particularly for flexible or conformable electrolyte layers aimed at wearable or implantable applications.
Search this in Eureka →C01B / C01G · Inorganic precursor and metal-compound synthesis
C01B (non-metallic elements and inorganic compounds, 33 records) and C01G (compounds of other metals, 53 records) together capture upstream precursor and synthesis chemistry relevant to oxide, sulfide, and NASICON-type electrolytes. Both branches are sparse relative to the cell-level H01M core, yet control of precursor synthesis routes is a recognised leverage point for cost and purity in solid electrolyte manufacturing. The combination of low patent density and high manufacturing relevance makes these branches worth monitoring as process scale-up intensifies; entry through novel synthesis routes or dopant chemistries appears feasible for materials-science-focused applicants.
Search this in Eureka →How leading applicants differ across technology routes
Strength of each leader across the main technology routes.
| Player | H01M 10 · Batteries, cells & fuel cells | H01M 4 · Batteries, cells & fuel cells | H01M 50 · Batteries, cells & fuel cells | H01M 2 · Batteries, cells & fuel cells | H01B 1 · Cables, conductors & insulators |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Toyota Motor Corporation | Strong · 50 | Strong · 33 | Absent | Absent | Absent |
| Idemitsu Kosan Co., Ltd. | Strong · 27 | Strong · 23 | Absent | Absent | Moderate · 13 |
| Sumitomo Chemical Co., Ltd. | Strong · 30 | Strong · 31 | Absent | Absent | Absent |
| I-TEN | Strong · 32 | Moderate · 15 | Emerging · 4 | Emerging · 6 | Absent |
| French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) | Strong · 27 | Moderate · 11 | Moderate · 9 | Emerging · 5 | Absent |
| JX Nippon Mining & Metals Corporation | Strong · 24 | Strong · 19 | Absent | Absent | Emerging · 4 |
| AESC Japan Ltd. | Strong · 18 | Strong · 12 | Absent | Absent | Moderate · 6 |
Frequently asked questions
The analysed corpus contains 708 patent families covering lithium-ion battery solid electrolytes across a global, multi-year scope.
Toyota Motor Corporation is the clear leader with 72 patent families, more than double the count of the next-ranked applicant (I-TEN at 34 families). Idemitsu Kosan and Sumitomo Chemical are tied at 31 families each in third and fourth place.
The top five applicants account for 24% of the hundred largest filers’ combined total, indicating moderate concentration. The mid-tier (ranks 6–20) is diverse, including chemical suppliers, OEMs, startups, and universities, so no single bloc dominates below the Toyota layer.
Annual filings peaked at 126 families in 2023 and moderated to 86 in 2024. The recent-window growth rate remains positive at 7%, placing the field at a Maturity stage where annual volume has eased from the peak but cumulative activity continues to build. Note that 2024–2025 figures are subject to publication lag and likely understate true activity.
The United States leads by patent records, followed by China, WIPO (PCT), Japan, and Europe (EPO). South Korea, Taiwan, and India also carry meaningful filing volumes. The breadth of PCT filings means that freedom-to-operate assessments should cover at minimum the US, China, Japan, and EPO simultaneously.
Two adjacent branches stand out for their sparsity relative to the H01M core: H01B (cables, conductors and insulators, 83 records) covering engineered ionic-conductor structures, and C01B/C01G (inorganic precursor and metal-compound synthesis, 33 and 53 records respectively) covering upstream electrolyte chemistry. Both are sparse relative to cell-level patents and carry plausible technical value for applicants with materials-science expertise.
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Disclaimer. This page is generated from PatSnap Eureka data drawn from a limited snapshot of global patent and scientific-literature records, and is provided for general information and reference only.
Patent data carries inherent limitations: recent filings (typically the most recent 18–24 months) are under-counted due to standard publication lag; counts may be reported at either a patent-family or a patent-record basis and are not always directly comparable; classification, applicant-name, and citation data may contain errors, duplicates, or omissions; and the underlying search query defines and constrains the scope shown. As a result, the analysis may be incomplete or inaccurate and may not reflect the full technology landscape.
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