Strategic Analysis of Automotive Patent Evolution, North America, 1976-2025

In this study, F&S analyzes the mobility innovation ecosystem by examining automotive and mobility-related patents across the connected, autonomous, shared, and electric (CASE) mobility dimensions.

Some relevant details are as follows:

• The scope covers North America, with a primary focus on the United States, due to the depth, consistency, and longevity of the United States Patent and Trademark Office data.
• The analysis period spans 1976 to May 2025, enabling long-term trend identification, inflection point analysis, and technology lifecycle assessment.
• The technologies included are electric and hybrid powertrains, autonomous driving systems, vehicle connectivity, data processing, safety systems, and shared mobility platforms.
• Transport modes covered include passenger vehicles (PVs), commercial vehicles (CVs), off-highway (OHW) vehicles, rail, maritime, and aerospace.
• The unit of analysis is an individual patent, grouped into patent families and classified by CASE dimensions and transport modes.

There are two things worth noting. First, no direct pricing or market sizing is applied; value is inferred from patent volume, thematic weight, volatility, and growth momentum. The second is that revenue is not calculated at the manufacturer or channel level; the study focuses on innovation activity rather than commercial sales.

The market strongly influences broader sectors such as automotive manufacturing, information and communications technologies, energy, logistics, and infrastructure by shaping future growth pathways.