remaining two "advantages of fuel cell vehicles – longer range and fast fueling times – are rapidly being eroded by improving battery and charging technology." A 2022 study in Nature Electronics agreed. Innovation Fuel cell patent fillings in the area of hydrogen fuel cells increased in the 1960s, partly due to NASAs space program; another increase in the 80s was driven by research for automobiles. This was followed by a surge in filings from 2000 to 2005 by inventors in Japan, US and South Korea. Since then, China has dominated patent fillings in the field, with a smaller number in Japan, Germany, South Korea and the US. Between 2016 and 2020, annual filings, particularly for transportation applications, increased by a further 23%. Almost 80% of the patents in the area of fuel cells for transportation were filed by car companies. Academia is collaborating actively with the industry. Although filings related to road vehicles such as cars and trucks dominate, inventions in other areas like shipping, aviation, rail and other special vehicles is increasing. Airbus, a major aircraft manufacturer, has increased its patenting activity in the area since 2019. The number of fuel cell patents for shipping applications is comparable in size to the one for aviation and similarly slow in growth. A World Intellectual Property Organization report argues that because heavy-duty vehicles, such as construction vehicles, forklifts, and airport tugs require a higher payload, the high energy density of hydrogen can make fuel cells a more advantageous solution than battery applications. See also Hydrogen vehicle Glossary of fuel cell terms Proton-exchange membrane fuel cell Reformed methanol fuel cell Fuel cell auxiliary power unit Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Energy Association Water-fuelled car Notes External links Heetebrij, Jan. "A vision on a sustainable electric society supported by Electric Vehicles", Olino Renewable Energy, June 5, 2009 Ulrich Hottelet: State funding for hybrid dreams, The Asia Pacific Times, October 2009 Fuel cell market size per Prescient & Strategic Market Research 2021