End-User Consumption Diverges, Battery Production Cuts Drag Down Weekly Operating Rate [SMM Lead-Acid Battery Weekly Operating Comment]

        According to reports, the SMM five-province lead-acid battery enterprise weekly comprehensive operating rate was 72.84% from December 19 to 25, 2025, down 1.39 percentage points WoW.

Recently, the divergence in end-use consumption performance in the lead-acid battery market widened. E-bike lead-acid battery market consumption weakened, with orders from both the replacement and OEM markets declining. Particularly affected by the new national standard for e-bikes, most consumers were in an adaptation period, leading to weaker demand for OEM batteries. Some medium and large enterprises successively cut production, dragging down the lead-acid battery enterprise operating rate this week. Meanwhile, the automotive battery market was in its traditional peak season, with moderate replacement demand for lead-acid batteries. Furthermore, some dealers increased their procurement volume to meet annual sales targets. Producers in this segment all maintained relatively good operating rate levels, ranging from 80% to 100%.