Abstract: Through collecting the number of patents and new models of new-energy automobiles applied by automobile manufacturers between 2006 and 2015, this paper conducts an empirical study of the impact of being accepted into the promotion catalogue of new-energy automobile on the enterprises’ patent activities. The results of the DID estimation show that in the initial period of the publication of the promotion catalogue, the number of patents of new-energy automobiles applied by the enterprises included in this catalogue is not increased significantly. Only along with the implementation of the policies, did the effects gradually appear over time. When the dynamic panel is further used to estimate the patent transfer, the results show that if the enterprises have applied new-energy automobile patents, they would transform them into new models as soon as possible, and the ratio of the currently launched new-energy car model would be influenced by the previous ratio of new models. Those results reflect that although the new-energy automobile promotion policy focused on sales end subsidy can stimulate the enterprises to apply more patents, it also encourages them to quicken the speed of patent transfer in order to gain the subsidy continuously. They may only seek to bring their new products into the market quickly, thus some enterprises would even forge false sales volume to gain subsidies by cheating.

Key words: new energy automobile industry; promotion catalog; patent number; number of new vehicle models; difference-in-difference