In 2019, electric truck maker Rivian filed a patent for a “removable auxiliary battery” that would fit into the front third or so of the truck bed. This patent was granted in 2020, so Rivian currently has a patent on this technology.
The patent is described as:
- An electric vehicle system for transporting human passengers or cargo includes an electric vehicle that includes a body, a plurality of wheels, a cargo area, an electric motor for propelling the electric vehicle, and a primary battery for providing electrical power to the electric motor for propelling the electric vehicle. An auxiliary battery module is attachable to the electric vehicle for providing electrical power to the electric motor via a first electrical connector at the auxiliary battery module and a second electrical connector at the electric vehicle that mates with the first electrical connector. The auxiliary battery module can be positioned in the cargo area while supplying power to the electric motor, and can be removable and reattachable from the electric vehicle. The auxiliary battery module includes an integrated cooling system for cooling itself during operation of the electric vehicle including a conduit therein for circulating coolant.
We aren’t patent lawyers here, but this sounds awfully similar to Tesla’s “range extender.” The obvious potential differences we can find are if the range extender doesn’t have integrated cooling, which is unlikely, or if the range extender isn’t removable, which doesn’t seem to jive with the statement that it is only for long trips or with the marketing showing it as an optional add-on (if that were the case, why not just offer different battery sizes?).
Tesla itself has many patents (and is still pursuing more of them) but has pledged not to “initiate patent lawsuits against anyone who, in good faith, wants to use its technology.” It announced this in a 2014 blog post and followed up by saying that it thinks several companies are using its patents.
So next, the question is: is Tesla’s solution different enough to avoid Rivian’s patent protection? Has Tesla licensed the idea from Rivian, and we just haven’t heard about it yet? Or will Rivian return Tesla’s “good faith” and not initiate a patent lawsuit against Tesla if it does feel like it has a good enough case to say that Tesla’s range extender infringes on its patent?
They invented a removable battery meant to power a consumer pickup truck. Do you see any other removable batteries marketed to do that job before their patent was filed?
They didn’t invent anything meant to power a remote or a clock, which is why those terms don’t appear in their patent.
More generally, patents are not necessarily about “thing nobody has ever imagined before”. Quite often they are “modified and/or improved version of thing that exists”. Like a remote battery modified to power a truck.
You can’t just add “in a truck” to a common idea to make it inique
The patent is more than just adding “in a truck”. The patent is adding “in a truck” and then actually building a removable battery that powers a truck. Which is a device nobody has built before, thus unique.
If you file a patent for “a flying car” without actually submitting designs for a working flying car, you won’t get a patent.
I heard about this company making an EV with quick swap batteries years ago.
https://www.change-climate.com/Transport_Land_Sea_Sustainable/SMART_Hybrid_EV_Energy_Service_Networks/BETTER_PLACE_Israeli_Service_Stations_Renault_Fluence_Battery_Cartridges_EVs.htm
Again, just because this is in a truck and auxiliary doesn’t make it a new thing.
Again, Rivian are patenting their specific design for a battery.
For example, do the other batteries have an integrated cooling system? If not, the two designs can easily be covered by separate patents.
There are often separate patents for things that have the same purpose, but different designs. For example, VHS and Betamax, which are both devices to store and retrieve videos on magnetic tape. The details matter more than the general description.
BYD has had removable batteries in their vehicles, and they actually have functioning battery swap stations unlike everybody else. Patent law is pure trash, so companies and people very commonly do junk like tack another word into a design and file a patent. Sadly, in North America, patents basically get rubber stamped and it’s on you when you get sued to supply evidence to invalidate the patent.
But the cybercuck can’t really be called a pickup truck can it? It’s more like the El Camino of electric vehicles.