CATL overtakes LG Energy Solution in global battery patents

Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. overtook LG Energy Solution on Oct. 10, 2026 to lead global battery patent filings, according to a 10-year audit released by intellectual property analytics firm PatSnap.

The Chinese cell maker accumulated 26,574 simple patent families between October 2016 and September 2026. That total gave the company a lead of 3,977 families over LG Energy Solution, which held 22,597.

The metric counts simple patent families, which group filings across multiple jurisdictions protecting an identical invention into a single unit. Filings lodged during the past three years made up 61.0% of CATL's 27,402 cumulative applications.

The rapid filing pace added 16,722 patent applications between 2023 and 2026 alone, PatSnap said. The concentration indicates that CATL accelerated domestic and international filings to secure intellectual property rights ahead of overseas manufacturing expansions.

Power battery inventions formed the bulk of CATL's portfolio, representing 19,539 filings. The company also registered 3,538 patent families in all-solid-state cells — systems replacing flammable liquid electrolyte with solid ionic conductors — including 2,763 filed since 2023.

LG Energy Solution held approximately 59,000 granted patents worldwide as of May 2026, according to corporate disclosures. Cumulative patent applications submitted by the South Korean manufacturer exceeded 100,000 cases under internal accounting.

The divergence between the two figures stems from counting methodologies. Corporate disclosures count national filings separately in each country, whereas family-based tallies compress identical inventions filed across Washington, Beijing and Seoul into one case.

LG Energy Solution invested 1.3277 trillion won ($980 million) in research and development in 2025. That spending built a patent foundation covering ceramic-coated separator materials, carbon nanotube dispersion and multi-layer slot-die coating processes.

The South Korean manufacturer also retains an established portfolio in battery management systems. Corporate records list more than 8,000 management patents protecting diagnostic software, cell degradation tracking and thermal monitoring algorithms.

The patent contest shifts when narrowed to utility-scale energy storage systems. South Korea's Korean Intellectual Property Office reported that LG Energy Solution led grid-scale storage patents with 4,605 filings across the top five patent offices through 2023.

CATL took second place in that 20-year government study with 2,653 utility storage filings. South Korean applicants accounted for 41.3% of global grid storage filings, while Chinese competitors held 35.4%, the agency said.

South Korean grid storage filings expanded at an average annual rate of 68.6% between 2021 and 2023, the Korean patent office said. That growth rate outpaced China's 48.2% expansion during the same three-year observation window.

A dense patent wall gives CATL commercial leverage as it negotiates licensing agreements with foreign carmakers. Automakers seeking localized lithium iron phosphate chemistry must assess whether cell designs infringe CATL's active utility filings.

The accumulation of Western filings also functions as a defensive barrier against infringement lawsuits. Chinese cell suppliers historically faced intellectual property litigation when exporting modules into North American and European automotive supply chains.

By expanding all-solid-state battery filings to 3,538 families, CATL also established early claims in next-generation chemistry. Japanese and South Korean competitors previously held commanding leads in inorganic solid electrolyte architectures.

The surge in solid-state filings concentrates in sulfide and composite electrolyte formulations. Those specifications govern interface stability between solid separators and high-nickel cathodes, a technical bottleneck in pilot production lines.

LG Energy Solution maintains licensing frameworks with battery equipment makers to monetize its manufacturing patents. The South Korean firm has stated that unauthorized use of its separator coating technology will face formal legal enforcement.

Patent portfolios determine royalty terms in joint-venture battery plants constructed across North America and Europe. Automakers building localized production sites frequently cross-license cell architectures to avoid unexpected court injunctions during factory ramp-ups.

CATL's family leadership reflects changes in Chinese corporate strategy, which shifted from domestic utility models to global invention patents. Chinese patent subsidies previously prioritized gross volume over international patent family protection.

Cross-licensing discussions and supplier patent audits face their next formal reporting date on Dec. 31, 2026, when cell makers close their annual intellectual property registers. Patent offices in the United States and Europe publish consolidated filing updates through early 2027.

The analytics report does not state how many of CATL's simple patent families received formal grant notices outside China. Global intellectual property offices have not issued a joint intergovernmental tally verifying the 10-year consolidated corporate rankings.

LG Energy Solution continues to deploy its battery safety software across automotive clients, reporting 90% diagnostic accuracy based on field data gathered from 100,000 electric vehicles.