Xu Yanhua, deputy secretary-general of the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers, told the newspaper that providing free access to patents will enable Toyota to have a greater say in the tech development path of hydrogen cell-powered cars and its related tech standards to go global.

"Any user can hardly surpass Toyota, which has more than 20 years of prowess in hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. The company has faith in that," Xu said.

FCVs have a longer industrial chain than hybrid electric vehicles and require an expanded infrastructure network. Toyota's decision will encourage more industrial players to get involved in FCV development and commercialization, she said.

"China has a weaker foundation for fuel cell development and the domestic industrial chain has yet to take shape," the IP newspaper quoted an anonymous source from the tech department of SAIC Motor.

"Toyota's patent opening-up provides Chinese automakers opportunities to learn, yet it is not easy to master related core technologies," he said. "So far there is not much adjustment in our fuel cell research orientation and tendency."