Switched on? Patterns of patent activity and the development of the electric vehicle

This paper explores patenting activity in the development of the electric vehicle. Using American patent data, the paper analyses the flow of information through firms and individuals at a time when the American automobile sector is responding to radical regulatory change. This is stimulating incumbent automobile manufacturers to change their approach to new product development from the traditionally exclusive to a more inclusive orientation through the development of knowledge networks. Technology research in other sectors suggests that the development of these knowledge networks may be highly dependent upon key individuals or gatekeepers within firms. This paper tests that proposition in relation to the development of the electric vehicle in America. This paper analyses the patenting activity of the individual firms engaged in the development of the electric vehicle in the USA. Using American patent data, indexes of patent quality and activity are constructed and assessed.