[SMM Analysis] it will take time for overseas new energy vehicle plants to gradually resume production and recover terminal demand.

Published: May 10, 2020 23:16 (GMT+8)

Save

SMM, 10 May:

LG Chemical won the first place with 27.1 per cent market share in the first quarter of 2020, beating the powerful Ningde era and Panasonic, according to a new report by SNE Research, a South Korean market research firm. LG's market share more than doubled from the same period in 2019 to second place Panasonic (25.7 per cent), while Ningde, the defending champion of the year, came in third with 17.4 per cent, down from 23.4 per cent in the same period in 2019, the report said.

According to SMM research, due to the impact of the epidemic, the operating rate of domestic battery enterprises was low in the first quarter, but since then, due to no obvious improvement in terminal demand, the operating rate of battery factories has not improved; in addition, the overseas epidemic began to spread in the middle and late March, leading battery enterprises export orders were affected, and the power battery market was still in a depressed state in the second quarter.

At present, among the battery enterprises, the demand of LG industry chain is relatively stable, mainly relying on the full production of Tesla Shanghai factory.

In addition, BYD has focused on promoting lithium iron phosphate batteries this year, and its Chongqing plant has been in full production, driving demand for some lithium iron phosphate materials.

In late March, nearly 20 overseas automakers, including Volkswagen, BMW, Toyota, Daimler, Fiat Chrysler, Peugeot Citroen, GM and Ford, have closed or plan to close more than 100 factories. According to relevant statistics, new energy plants, including Volkswagen, Audi, Porsche and Volvo, basically resumed work on April 20, while BMW's new energy plant in Leipzig, Germany, will resume work after May 18. At present, the epidemic has had an impact on the production of new energy vehicles for at least two months, and demand has to wait for the epidemic to be brought under control. European new energy vehicle sales data in April show that, with the exception of Germany, which still shows strong year-on-year growth, year-on-year sales in other countries have declined significantly, including countries severely affected by the epidemic, such as Spain and Italy, where new energy vehicles have dropped by more than 100% year-on-year.

Cobalt lithium cars batteries

Data Source Statement: Except for publicly available information, all other data are processed by SMM based on publicly available information, market communication, and relying on SMM's internal database model. They are for reference only and do not constitute decision-making recommendations.

For any inquiries or for more information, please contact: lemonzhao@smm.cn

For more information on how to access our research reports, please contact:service.en@smm.cn

Related News

6 hours ago

Rwanda spot offers at “4.8+” leave one buyer waiting

[SMM Tantalum Flash] A trading contact said on 9 October that it was still receiving Rwandan tantalum offers at “4.8+” and had bought no tantalum in the preceding few weeks. Other contacts in the supplied sample described offers above US$4 per kg per grade percentage point. The “4.8+” message did not restate its pricing unit, assay, delivery basis or the dates of the underlying offers. It is a received asking indication, not a transaction price. The contact said its Rwanda tin flows remained stable, but it had held off buying tantalum while considering air-freight economics and had shifted more attention to West Africa. It reported a Nigerian offer and expressed interest in a Sierra Leone trader; neither was described as a completed tantalum purchase. These conversations show how one buyer is responding to the offers, without establishing a representative Rwanda price or a wider change in trade flows.

6 hours ago

7 hours ago

DRC coltan spot sample received at US$60/kg for 38% material

[SMM Tantalum Flash] A trader quotation recorded on 2 October in the supplied survey lists DRC-origin coltan described as 38% Ta₂O₅ at US$60,000 per tonne, or US$60/kg. The sheet marks it CIF, names Dar es Salaam as the origin port and leaves the destination blank. The same trader mentioned US$43/kg for material spanning 6–35% grade. These are two received asking indications from one trader; the survey provides no accepted order or completed-trade evidence. At the stated 38% grade, US$60/kg calculates to about US$1.58 per kg per grade percentage point. A separate 9 October conversation described traders sourcing from the DRC and routing material through Zambia towards Dar es Salaam, but did not link a shipment to this quoted lot. Assay, quantity and delivery terms still need checking. This small survey sample does not establish a DRC-wide price or a price movement.

7 hours ago

8 hours ago

[SMM Chromium Flash] South Africa’s August HC FeCr Exports Rise 20% MoM to 117,180 mt, Led by Canada and US Shipments

South Africa’s high-carbon ferrochrome exports rose to 117,180 mt in August 2026, up 20.0% month-on-month from July’s restated 97,618 mt and around 45.8% higher than a year earlier, though still 5.0% below June’s 123,310 mt. Canada’s imports jumped from 1,054 mt to 26,373 mt, making it the largest destination, while the United States rose 128.0% to 26,029 mt. Together the two markets took 44.7% of exports, against 12.8% in July. China fell 27.5% to 20,505 mt, cutting its share to 17.5% from 29.0% and dropping it to fourth place, as weak demand and ample domestic supply limited its appetite; SMM data show Chinese ferrochrome supply grew 12.94% in the first half of 2026 while stainless-related chrome demand rose only 2.3%. South Korea rose 43.3% to 20,790 mt, while Japan fell 42.1% to 13,727 mt. Merafe expects the ramp-up of the restarted Wonderkop and Boshoek smelters to be fully complete towards the end of the year.

8 hours ago