An approach to the dynamics of scientific and technological development of lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles

The main component of Electric Vehicles (VE) is the battery. Lithium-ion batteries have offered the best performance to different technological problems, such as recharge time, autonomy, weight, and energy density. Then, the raised question is what has been their scientific and technological development over time. This paper aims to understand this issue from a bibliometric study and patent analysis of lithium-ion batteries for VE. The results indicate that the dynamics of publication of papers and patent families have been increasing, especially since 2009, motivated by environmental concerns and the interest of companies in the growth of this market. It highlights the leadership of Asian countries such as Japan, China, South Korea, and Taiwan, as well as the United States and some European countries, in the publication of both papers and patents. Finally, we highlight the collaborative networks between universities for the publication of papers and between incumbent car companies and electric-electronic companies for patenting. These networks demonstrate the need for articulation between different areas of knowledge to advance the technological development of lithium-ion batteries.