(Yicai Global) Jan. 10 -- Contemporary Amperex Technology, the world’s largest battery supplier, topped a list of Chinese companies that applied for new energy vehicle-related patents over a 12-month period, according to a new survey.

Chinese firms applied for 41,359 NEV patents in the year ended Nov. 30, a gain of 32.6 percent from a year earlier, the results of the survey carried out by Yicai Global in collaboration with science and technology innovation information provider PatSnap showed yesterday. Ningde-based CATL accounted for 1,061.

Carmaker FAW Group ranked second with 777 patents, followed by lithium battery supplier Amperex Technology with 712 and electric vehicle giant BYD with 662. Aulton New Energy Automotive Technology, which operates EV converter stations, was fourth with 521.

Some 15,391 patents were approved in the period, up more than 22 percent. At 530, BYD had the most patents authorized, with CATL, battery supplier Svolt Energy Technology, smartphone maker Oppo, and ATL following with 353, 215, 191, and 172, respectively.

On the whole, BYD and CATL sit in the first rank of the NEV industry's research and development capabilities. Shenzhen-based BYD overtook Tesla to become the world’s No. 1 NEV seller, with sales of 1.87 million cars last year. CATL has been first for global power battery shipments for many years, with a market share of 40 percent. 

The second tier consists of a number of traditional automakers, including FAW, Geely Holding Group, Dongfeng Motor, and Great Wall Motor, which each filed between 300 and 700 NEV-related patents in the 12 months, receiving approval for 100 to 200.

Chinese EV startups Nio and Xpeng follow far behind in terms of the number of patents, but their R&D capabilities in smart cabins and autonomous driving are ahead of traditional carmakers, giving them a sales boost compared with vehicles of the same class made by long-established manufacturers.

Editor: Futura Costaglione