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Why these 3 automotive innovations were too important to keep secret

When a new technology comes along, often car manufacturers are keen to hold onto it and keep the patents for themselves – but not these ones. So just what is it that made these new car technologies too good to protect?

In the 1950s, Mercedes-Benz gave away its patent for crumple zones.

In the 1950s, Mercedes-Benz gave away its patent for crumple zones.

Last week, it was revealed that Apple might be looking to enter the automotive market. However, instead of being worried, Renault-Nissan came out and said that they saw Apple as ‘allies’ rather than enemies. Renault-Nissan chief executive Carlos Ghosn said he was excited about the news, rather than being scared by it. He announced:

‘It’s not about who’s going to have the bigger share of the entry market. It’s about how the companies join in promoting the electric cars.’

This commitment to open innovation, rather than greedily scrambling over patent ownership, got us thinking about what other car innovations have brought brands together for the good of society as a whole.

Check out these three HUGE automotive innovations that car manufacturers have decided to open up and share over the years.

1) Electric car charging technology

Last year, BMW and Nissan teamed up with Tesla to expand the electric vehicle charging network that Tesla currently has in place across the U.S. The three car giants plan on expanding this network globally, hoping to increase the uptake of electric vehicles worldwide. Elon Musk announced:

‘Our true competition is not the small trickle of non-Tesla electric cars being produced, but rather the enormous flood of gasoline cars pouring out of the world’s factories every day.’

The hope was to create an environment of open innovation, where the success of electric cars in general would rise, as opposed to just one company benefitting.

2) Seat belts

In 1959, Nils Bohlin, and engineer at Volvo, created the world’s first three-point seat belt. The company then decided to open up its patent, so that all car manufacturers could benefit. The decision was made in the interests of safety. Volvo’s managing director Alan Dessell is quoted as saying:

‘The decision to release the three-point seat belt patent was visionary and in line with Volvo’s guiding principle of safety.’

As a result, not only did Volvo help to save lives, it also gained a reputation for being one of the safest car manufacturers in the world, which it still holds today. Volvo’s class-leading safety features can still be seen in models such as the XC90.

3) Crumple zones

In the 1950s, Mercedes-Benz engineer Béla Barényi invented the crumple zone. Barényi was the first to look at the notion that a car should yield upon impact, rather than remain stable. As a result, Barényi split the car into three sections, the front and rear of which would actually deform on impact, rather than remain rigid, absorbing the kinetic energy in a crash. Whilst Barényi is credited with more than half as many patents as famous inventor, Thomas Edison, Mercedes-Benz decided not to enforce its patent rights on the crumple zone, so that competitors could also employ the technology in their vehicles.

Consequently, tens of thousands of lives were saved worldwide.

Makes you feel all fuzzy inside, doesn’t it? Let’s hope that the commitment to safety that helped spur car manufacturers on to share their innovations in the 1950s will continue today, as innovators in the automotive industry look towards solutions for creating a greener planet.

About the Author

Sophie McGraw

Staff Writer at Arnold Clark

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