CATL Overtakes LG Energy Solution in Decade Battery Patents

Patent volume is a lagging indicator of R&D direction, not of commercial strength, so CATL's lead matters less as a scoreboard than as evidence of how aggressively Chinese cell makers have built defensive IP moats over the past decade. The shift concentrates strategic risk for Korean and Japanese incumbents, whose licensing leverage and freedom to operate in overseas markets increasingly depend on portfolios now being out-counted. Whether LG Energy Solution responds through filings, cross-licensing, or litigation is the open question, and it will shape how battery IP is priced in Western supply-chain deals.