While the electric battery sector remains dominated by Asia, patent filings are accelerating in Europe and in particular in France, where innovation is notably driven by CEA Paris-Saclay.
There is still some delay, but France is gradually catching up with its lack of innovations in the battery sector.
While Asia is still far ahead, Europe is progressing and in France, patent filings have accelerated, according to a study published Tuesday by the European Patent Office and the International Energy Agency.
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This is the sector where competition is the fiercest: the number of patents filed worldwide has increased by 14% every year since 2005, four times more than in all other technological fields combined, according to this study.
France plays a leading role in this, being the second most innovative European country behind Germany, driven by research by CEA Paris-Saclay, which has climbed into the Top 15 worldwide for patent applicants.
"The first constraint is the energy density"
These new projects should allow French manufacturers to be in the race this time.
This is the case for Renault but also for PSA, where Nicolas Leclere, head of the innovation center for electrification, is working on the next generation of batteries.
"We are exploring the different technologies for this new generation, at 5-10 years old," he explains to the microphone of Europe 1. "The first of the constraints is the energy density, that is to say - say the amount of energy that we will be able to install in the car because that is what determines the autonomy of the car. A second very important point, we are looking for technologies that are able to charge very quickly, So that's why we are working on technologies capable of recharging at high power. "
Autonomy, charging speed but also recycling of cells, storage of electricity to make it sustainable energy.
Not to mention the preservation of rare metals with nickel and cobalt free battery projects.