Escalating Battery Patent Wars... BYD Faces European Lawsuit and Korean Probe

Intellectual Property Clash Intensifies Over Core Battery Technologies
Domestic Sales Restrictions Possible if Patent Infringement Is Confirmed

BYD, China’s No. 1 electric vehicle maker, has become embroiled in a patent dispute over battery technology. With lawsuits and investigations launched simultaneously in Europe and Korea, technological competition in the global EV market is increasingly spilling over into intellectual property disputes.

The booth of BYD (Biyadi), a leading Chinese electric vehicle maker that participated for the first time in InterBattery 2025 held last year at COEX in Gangnam District, Seoul. Photo by Yonhap News

According to industry sources, BMS Innovation, a patent-specialized company that purchased and manages LG Energy Solution’s battery patents, recently filed a lawsuit claiming that BYD infringed its patents. The lawsuit was submitted to the Unified Patent Court (UPC) in The Hague, the Netherlands. BMS Innovation argues that BYD applied core technologies related to battery communication and management without paying license fees.

The technology at issue is a battery management system that monitors the status of secondary batteries and detects abnormalities, and is regarded as a core technology directly linked to EV safety. Analysts say that, depending on the outcome of this lawsuit, BYD’s business in Europe could also come under pressure.

A similar controversy is unfolding in Korea as well. Tulip Innovation, which manages LG Energy Solution’s patents, has requested an investigation into unfair trade practices by the Trade Commission under the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, claiming that Chinese automaker Geely Automobile and battery manufacturer Sunwoda infringed Korean battery patents. The key point of contention is a patent on the structure of the battery electrode assembly, a core design that affects battery performance and durability.

If the Trade Commission rules this to be an unfair trade practice, sales of vehicles equipped with batteries using the technology in question could be suspended in the Korean market. Corrective measures such as battery recalls or replacements may also be ordered for vehicles that have already been sold.

Industry insiders view this case as an early signal of intensifying conflict over technological leadership in the global EV market. As Korean battery manufacturers move to protect their technologies by leveraging patents, some observers predict that the global expansion strategies of Chinese EV makers could face new constraints.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.