Did Texaco take the patent for the electric car?

Question

Did Texaco take the patent for the electric car?

Answer 1

California's 1990 ZEV mandate forced GM and other auto makers to produce Battery Electric cars such as the GM EV1. GM purchased control of the patents from the inventor, Stan and the late Iris Ovshinsky, in 1994 forming "GM Ovonics" under the guise of going into production with the EV1. But GM's Andy Card had been fighting Electric cars for years, and GM's true intention became apparent when on Oct. 10, 2000, GM agreed to sell their control of the EV batteries to Texaco. Less than a week later, on Oct. 16, 2000, only days after Texaco acquired control of the batteries, Chevron agreed to purchase Texaco in a $100 billion merger. Chevron announced the merger even though the GM sale of the batteries to what would become Chevron did not close until July 17, 2000. Perhaps Chevron wanted this sale to be announced prior to the merger so it would not look like Chevron (formerly Standard Oil of California) worked directly with GM. > >>

GM and Chevron collaborated with Toyota-Panasonic in such a way that these batteries were killed, and no such NiMH batteries are available for EVs. Chevron, awash in oil profits, assets and cash reserves, claims that "it's a chicken and egg problem" of "no demand", but that does not explain why they sued Panasonic, extracting $30,000,000. Shortly thereafter, the EV-95 line of proven, NiMH batteries still running in the RAV4-EV was shut down and killed, and the batteries cannot be sold or imported into the USA, according to one Toyota spokesperson. Only a few used EV-95, salvaged from crushed vehicles, are available, and those only for warranty replacement on existing RAV4-EV. Toyota won't sell even these used batteries to EV converters, who need long-lasting, reliable batteries and can't get them

Answer 2

Texaco never had any patent for the electric cars per se.  They were involved with the development of batteries suitable for electric cars.  [Texaco became part of Chevron in October 2001 (merger occurred after 9/11).]  The battery operations continued in form of a joint venture between Ovonics and Chevron.  

Exxon is also in a battery development business.  However, no one has found the holy grail in being able to create a battery that (a) is not so heavy, (b) permits a cruising range of a regular gasoline-powered vehicle, (c) permits numerous recharges without loss of effectiveness and failures and (d) is economic.  So far, there has not really been a battery that meets all criteria and it is the reason we have not seen many electric cars on the road yet.

Answer 3

Texaco got the patent for a certain type of battery, not the electric car.

Answer 4

You can't "take" a patent.  Or even buy it - you can buy rights to control who can use it, but the patent remains in the public domain freely available - it is not destroyed or altered.

Let's see this alleged "patent".  

Oh by the way, there are plenty of electric cars around.  How is this possible if evil Texaco is stoppping it?

Answer 5

NO !!!

Answer 6

Nice lady got it right.  Further, a patent only lasts for 20 years, after which the patented technology becomes open art, that anyone can practice freely.  So, what you actually have in the case of patents is:

A public record describing the invention and its implementation.

Like the lady said, lets see this patent or patents, or at least give me the number, and I can find it in the public data base.

A limited time that the owner of the patent rights can restrict its use.

After 20 years, a public document telling any one who is interested how to do it.

People who are aware of these facts also know the basic silliness of the many conspiracy theories floating around about inventions being buried.