Heavy-duty road transport, covering trucks and buses, remains a major contributor to global emissions.
At the same time, innovation is accelerating toward cleaner technologies as the sector begins to shift away from its heavy reliance on fossil fuels.
This is according to the latest World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) patent landscape report tracking registered innovations in the sector.
It highlights that the sector, which is critical to global trade and logistics, is still overwhelmingly dependent on fossil fuels, with about 94 per cent of trucks and buses powered by diesel and petrol globally.
Trucks and buses account for 31 per cent and 9 per cent of road transport emissions, respectively, according to the findings.
WIPO’s analysis shows that innovation activity in low-emission transport technologies in the sector has expanded significantly over the past two decades.
“The innovation landscape has undergone a fundamental transformation,” reads the report.
“The share of patents related to decarbonisation technologies increased from around seven per cent of all heavy-duty road transport patents in 2000 to approximately 20 per cent in 2024, with published patent families growing from around 1,200 to almost 15,400 annually.”
Electrification has emerged as the dominant technological pathway, driven largely by battery innovation.
In 2024, batteries accounted for about 73 per cent of all low-emission energy source patents, while charging infrastructure and smart grid solutions also recorded steady growth, reflecting the broader electrification ecosystem.
Hydrogen technologies, though smaller in scale, are gaining traction, with patent activity roughly doubling between 2019 and 2024.
The report notes that hydrogen may play a key role in long-haul transport, despite ongoing technical and cost challenges.
In contrast, hybrid vehicles have plateaued, increasingly overshadowed by fully electric solutions, while alternative fuels remain niche.
The report also highlights strong geographical concentration in innovation.
China and the United States dominate absolute patent volumes, with China’s annual publications rising sharply from just 11 in 2000 to about 7,300 in 2024.
India has also recorded rapid growth, supported by electric bus deployment policies, while Sweden and Germany show high specialisation linked to strong truck manufacturing bases.
Major automotive firms lead global innovation, with Toyota topping patent rankings, followed by Volkswagen (including Traton brands Scania and MAN), Hyundai, Ford, and suppliers such as Bosch and ZF.
Notably, universities and public research institutions are absent among top patent holders, reflecting the industry-driven nature of the sector.
While innovation is accelerating, the report notes a slowdown in patent growth in 2024 and warns that infrastructure development still lags behind the level required for large-scale fleet electrification.
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