- Acknowledgments
- Executive summary
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Image: WIPO 1 Introduction
This chapter introduces the decarbonization challenge facing heavy-duty road transport, highlighting the critical role of buses and trucks in global energy consumption and emissions. It outlines the report’s analytical framework, focusing on four technology areas – low-emission powertrains, energy infrastructure, vehicle efficiency, and digital optimization – while explaining how patent analysis is used to identify innovation trends, key actors, and emerging opportunities.
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Image: WIPO 2 Decarbonizing heavy-duty road transport: global patent trends
Global patenting trends in technologies supporting the decarbonization of heavy-duty road transport are examined in this chapter. It highlights growth across key technology areas, the dominance of electrification and batteries, and the leading countries and companies driving innovation, offering insight into the technological momentum shaping low-emission buses and trucks.
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Image: WIPO 3 Energy sources
Low-emission energy sources are central to decarbonizing heavy-duty road transport, with innovation spanning battery-electric systems, hydrogen fuel cells, hybrid powertrains and alternative fuels. Patent analysis in this chapter shows rapid technological progress, dominated by batteries, while highlighting regional innovation patterns, leading research locations and the accelerating pace of invention in cleaner vehicle energy systems.
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Image: WIPO 4 Energy infrastructure
This chapter examines the development of energy infrastructure required to support the decarbonization of heavy-duty road transport. It analyzes patent trends in charging networks, smart grids and hydrogen refueling systems, highlighting rapid growth in battery-electric infrastructure, key technological challenges and the countries driving innovation in large-scale energy distribution.
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Image: WIPO 5 Vehicle efficiency
This chapter examines technologies that improve the efficiency of heavy-duty road vehicles, focusing on advanced power- and drivetrains, vehicle design and tires, and advanced materials. Patent analysis highlights strong innovation growth led by powertrain technologies, identifies key inventor locations and companies, and shows how vehicle efficiency improvements support the broader decarbonization of heavy-duty road transport.
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Image: WIPO 6 Digitalization: fleet and operations management
Digitalization technologies are becoming an important complement to the decarbonization of heavy-duty road transport by optimizing vehicle operations, logistics and energy use. Patent analysis of “green digitalization” inventions highlights rapid growth in areas such as autonomous driving, connected vehicles and fleet optimization.
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Image: WIPO 7 IRENA analysis: pathways, policies and enablers for zero-emission trucks and buses
This chapter, prepared by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), emphasizes electrification as the dominant solution for decarbonizing heavy-duty road transport, supported by rapid battery cost declines, improving vehicle range, and emerging charging infrastructure. While biofuels and hydrogen play complementary roles, policy, infrastructure, and business model innovation are critical enablers to accelerate the transition toward zero-emission freight and passenger transport.
- Appendix
- Copyright
