At the start of CES 2015, Toyota announced it will make all of the 5,680 patents related to its fuel cell technology available to the public, royalty-free, in hopes of driving more innovation.
The Japanese-based car manufacturer made this announcement along with new details pertaining to the Toyota Mirai, a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle that is powered by combining oxygen and hydrogen, and will be available for purchase later this year.
“It’s obvious that there can be a higher societal value in openly sharing our IP,” said Bob Carter, a senior VP with Toyota’s U.S. office. “By eliminating the traditional corporate boundaries, we can speed the metabolism of everyone’s research and move into a future of mobility quicker, more effectively, and more economically. Indeed I believe today marks a turning point in automotive history.”
Historically speaking, Toyota has done something like this before, when it released information relating to the technology powering its hybrid cars. This marks the first time, though, that the company will be make all of its patents available free of charge.
Worth noting, Tesla also made its patents available to the general public last year.
The actual presentation opened with Dr. Michio Kaku, a theoretical physicist, who noted his initial skepticism for hydrogen fuel cell technology, but then went on to explain why he believes Toyota’s approach will change the landscape.
“The hydrogen car will change the landscape not just of our lives, but perhaps the world of politics, the world of energy — energy is at the very basis of all of modern society,” Kaku said. “We are present at the creation of a hydrogen society, a non-polluting society that will perhaps one day vanquish global warming and the problems associated with the burning of hydrocarbon fuels.”
Speaking to a real-world example, the Mirai generates electricity by combining oxygen and hydrogen molecules, which results in water emission “so refined you could drink it,” according to Dr. Kaku. The car has a range of 300 miles and can go from 0 to 60 mph in slightly less than 10 seconds.
Some other things worth noting: unlike electric batteries, hydrogen tanks can be refilled in less than 10 minutes. Also, the Mirai can be hooked up to one’s home and provide about a week’s worth of power.
The first Mirai will be sold in California for $57,500 later this year, after which sales will begin in the New England area.
One issue owners of the new car might run into is locating hydrogen fueling stations. To help solve this issue, the state of California has provided Toyota with $47 million to help build 28 stations there; similar partnerships have been forged in the northeast U.S. (hence the specific sales locations of the vehicle itself).
Bob Carter, a senior VP with Toyota’s U.S. office, estimates that by 2020, his company’s fueling infrastructure will reach “sustainable growth.”
“President Abraham Lincoln said the best way to predict the future is to create it,” Parker said. “That’s what we’re doing at Toyota.”
Via GeekWire
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