Intellectual property and evolution of the complex nature of electrical vehicles

Abstract

Following new institutional economics (Ostrom, 2005) and complex systems (Holland, 2006), we identify the tragedy of the anti - commons (Heller, 2008) and patent thicket (Shapiro, 2001) in electric vehicles from an analysis of patent ́s technological clases (USPTO, 1976 – 2012). Using network theory (Watts, 1999), we describe the evolution of electric vehicle technology, which has grown from a relatively d isconnected network to a hierarchically connected network in which the system is organized into subsystems by a process of integration /modularization (Baldwin & Clark 1999). We confirm the electric vehicle ́s technological complexity and the patent thicket relationship. Keywords: electric vehicle; technologies, p atents thickets, integral design, modular design, tragedy of the anti - commons, networks.