The release of these patents is an effort to move fuel cell technology faster in it’n implementation.

It has been well proven in the past that open systems get the fastest traction out of the gate.

With the lack of government assistance in many of these areas, this type of move might be the ticket to get things rolling.

Image Credit – Toyota  – image source

The announcement was made on Monday at the Consumer Electronics Show by senior vice-president Bob Carter. The bold move comes less than one month after Toyota began rolling out the world’s first mass-produced fuel-cell vehicle, the Mirai, in Japan.

During his speech, Carter proclaimed that Toyota would be allowing royalty-free use of some 5,680 patent licenses, including almost 300 related to high-pressure hydrogen tanks, and 70 related to hydrogen stations—the equivalent of gas stations for internal combustion vehicles. These licenses will be freely available throughout the duration of the market introduction period of fuel-cell vehicles, which the company anticipates will end around 2020. Just like Tesla, the idea is to give this area of the automotive industry a kickstart by encouraging other vehicle manufacturers into this new area.

“It’s obvious that there can be a higher societal value in openly sharing our IP,” said Carter. “By eliminating the traditional corporate business boundaries, we can speed the metabolism of everyone’s research and move into a future of mobility quicker, more effectively, and more economically.”

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