From 2021 to 2025, the number of overseas patent publications in China's automotive industry increased by 94.82%, reaching a total of 21,200. In terms of technological composition, new energy vehicles and intelligent connected vehicles accounted for more than 80% of the total. Among them, power battery supply chain enterprises performed exceptionally well, with their scale of overseas patent applications significantly exceeding that of vehicle manufacturers, occupying a leading position in overseas distribution. In terms of overall strategy, companies mostly prioritize coverage of the European and American markets via PCT, aiming to build intellectual property defenses against international competition through technological accumulation in core component fields.

1. Overseas patent layout doubles with technology going global to safeguard market expansion

From 2021 to 2025, the overseas patent layout of China's automotive industry indicated a continuous and steady growth. According to the Data, the number of overseas patent publications of China's automotive industry rose from 10,870 in 2021 to 21,177 in 2025, with an overall increase of 94.8% over the past 5 years, doubling in scale.

2. Overseas patent layout strategy: PCT being the mainstream with European and American markets as the core defense base

In terms of the geographical distribution of overseas patent layouts for the Chinese automotive industry in 2025, the WIPO (i.e., PCT international applications) accounts for 41.22%, ranking first. In terms of the selection of specific country/region, Europe (26.40%) and the United States (15.12%) are still the absolute focus of patent layout, both together accounting for over 40%.

3. 2025 Overseas patent layout of China’s automotive industry focuses on NEVs and ICVs sector

In the technological composition of overseas patents for China's automotive industry in 2025, new energy vehicles (67.37%) and intelligent connected vehicles (14.33%) accounted for more than 80%, showing a significant concentration of technology. The structural characteristic objectively reflects the strategic orientation of China's automotive industry towards "electrification + intelligentization" in overseas markets.

4. Among the top 15 Chinese domestic vehicle manufacturers in terms of overseas patent publications in 2025, BYD ranked first.

5. Among the top 50 Chinese domestic innovation entities in terms of overseas patent publications in 2025, CATL, BYD, and Geely ranked in the top 3, demonstrating the significant advantages of power battery and related industry chain companies.

Above all, the global competitive advantage of China's automotive industry is currently highly concentrated in the core steps of electrification. Compared with end-user car manufacturers, upstream battery companies have taken the lead in building strong patent barriers overseas.

From AutoIP

January 27th, 2026