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Toyota hydrogen fuel cell patents released to the world

• Egon Kilin
• January 7th, 2015

We’ve all seen the Mirai and the Lexus Limousine running on the Toyota hydrogen fuel cell technology, but we thought that the Japanese company would be a pioneer and a sole player in the world of hydrogen fuel cell. It seems the company won’t be keeping the revolutionary technology to itself, as the latest info says that they will be releasing most of their hydrogen fuel cell patents to various companies all around the world.

The Japanese company has announced that thousands of Toyota hydrogen fuel cell patents will be released to the world free of charge so that the technology can move further and get past any future obstacles with ease. CES 2015 was the stage for the announcement and what better place to further innovation in the automotive industry than the Consumer Electronics Show? Senior VP of Toyota, Bob Carter told us that the company would be allowing royalty-free use of more than 5,680 patents, 370 of which are related to hydrogen fuel cell tanks and stations. According to the company, these patents will be available for free until about 2020, or until the market introduction of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles is complete.

The adoption of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles could mean a world where renewable energy dominates and pollution is downsized. Scientists talking about the technology at CES 2015 went as far as saying that by replacing our ordinary energy sources with hydrogen sources, we could end the progression of global warming, although we’re not sure how realistic that is. Not because the hydrogen fuel cell technology wouldn’t contribute to a cleaner society, but because fossil fuels and hydrocarbon fuels are still the main driving force of the world and large companies might lose a ton of money if we were to switch to the healthier option.

Toyota hydrogen fuel cell patents being released world-wide mark another stepping stone in the development of sustainable and renewable energy for transportation and otherwise, and we are hopeful that the idea sticks and hydrogen fuel stations will become a commodity in the near future. Even though the Mirai has quickly become one of the most popular vehicles using the Toyota hydrogen fuel cell technology, we still have a long way to go until the phenomenon goes global and other companies start using the tech in future vehicles.