The "Handelsblatt" of December 4, 2023 reports in detail on the law firm's current patent study in the company section:
"German automotive manufacturers double patents in China - In the Chinese market for electric cars, German patents do not play a role.
A patent study now shows how BMW, Mercedes and VW want to catch up."

The analysis of the Munich law firm Grunecker shows that the five largest German car manufacturer have applied for almost 2,000 patents for electric cars in China last year.
BMW and above all the VW-group, are leading the patent applications in China. In comparison to the Year 2018, the amount of registered patents has more than duplicated.

"The German automotive manufacturer patent a lot of important technologies for the electric car themselves", quotes Jens Koch, partner and patent attorney at Grunecker.
Together with his team he has systematically evaluated patent applications in the Chinese car industry.

According to Koch "the Battery technology on lithium-ion-base is in Chinese hands". "But the Germans are strong with connecting the battery to the car, to the charging and
temperature management."

The German companies has also managed to secure important positions in China in the field of electric motors and the development of solid-state batteries."
They can also use their patents in China to exchange them  for new technologies at lower cost," explains the automotive and patent expert in "Handelsblatt".

You can find our press information on the study in German language here.