The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has granted patent US12586785B2 to Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha for a lithium secondary battery. The patent details a battery design that includes a positive electrode and a negative electrode. The negative electrode layer is characterized by containing an alloy of lithium metal and a dissimilar metal, where the lithium element constitutes 40.00 to 99.97 atomic percent when the battery is fully charged. This patent filing, with application number 18441050, was filed on February 14, 2024, and granted on March 24, 2026.

This patent grant is primarily an intellectual property notification and does not impose new regulatory obligations on manufacturers or other entities. However, it signifies an advancement in battery technology by Toyota, potentially impacting future product development and competition in the energy storage sector. Companies operating in battery manufacturing or research and development may wish to review the patent details to understand the scope of Toyota's protected technology.