Samsung files EV-related patents, could herald big bet on electric vehicles

Samsung isn't talking, but a number of the South Korean electronics giant's recent patents are speaking volumes. The company has filed a number of patents for technology that could be used in electric vehicles, making many wonder if the company, which already makes batteries for plug-in vehicles, may go whole hog and start building EVs, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Samsung has published the patents through the US Patent & Trademark Office and the Korea Intellectual Property Rights Information Service, but is keeping quite mum on whether electric vehicles are on its production horizon. The patents are related to things like new tires, motors and "on-board electronics for information sharing between the car and driver," writes The Wall Street Journal.

The company is no stranger to the auto industry. Samsung carved out an automaker division in the 1990s but sold it to Renault in 1997. Samsung's Samsung Card affiliate today has about a 20-percent stake in Renault-Samsung. An updated version of the Renault-Samsung SM7 sedan (pictured) came out in 2011.

Reports surfaced in August that Tesla Motors, which uses Panasonic lithium-ion batteries in the Model S luxury EV sedan, had been in talks with Samsung about battery production. Samsung currently makes batteries for the BMW i3 as well as the Fiat 500e.