Q1 Global EV Battery Installations: CATL Continues to Lead, Market Share of South Korea's Top Three Battery Makers Shrinks

Recently, data released by South Korean market research firm SNE Research showed that in the first quarter of 2025, global battery installations for electric vehicles (including battery electric vehicles, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, and hybrid electric vehicles) reached 221.8 GWh, up 38.8% from 159.8 GWh in the same period last year.


Q1 Global EV Battery Installations: CATL Dominates the Rankings, SVOLT Energy Technology Records Fastest Growth

In the first quarter of this year, six Chinese EV battery manufacturers ranked among the top 10 globally in terms of EV battery installations.

Among them, CATL maintained its position as the global leader, with battery installations increasing 40.2% YoY to 84.9 GWh. In addition to Chinese automotive brands such as Zeekr, AITO, Li Auto, and Xiaomi, CATL's batteries are also widely adopted by global mainstream automakers including Tesla, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and the Volkswagen Group.

BYD's battery installations increased 62.0% YoY to 37.0 GWh, ranking second. As a company that produces both batteries and EVs (including battery electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles), BYD has launched multiple best-selling car models with strong price competitiveness. In 2024, BYD's EV sales reached approximately 4 million units, and it plans to achieve a sales target of around 6 million units in 2025. Additionally, BYD is actively expanding into the Asian and European markets, accelerating the expansion of its overseas market share.

The other four Chinese battery manufacturers also continued to maintain strong growth momentum. CALB's battery installations increased 31.5% YoY to 8.6 GWh, ranking fifth; Gotion High-tech's battery installations reached 7.7 GWh, surging 86.6% YoY, ranking sixth; EVE's battery installations soared 59.6% YoY to 5.7 GWh, ranking ninth; closely following was SVOLT Energy Technology, with battery installations reaching 5.6 GWh, skyrocketing 100.2% YoY, making it the battery manufacturer with the highest YoY growth in the first quarter on this list.

The combined battery installations of South Korea's top three battery makers (LG Energy Solution, SK On, and Samsung SDI) accounted for 18.7% of global EV battery installations, down 4.6 percentage points YoY. Among them, LG Energy Solution's battery installations still increased 15.1% YoY to 23.8 GWh, ranking third. SK On's battery installations rose 35.6% YoY to 10.5 GWh, ranking fourth. Samsung SDI's battery installations, however, fell 17.2% YoY to 7.3 GWh, primarily due to a decline in demand for batteries from major automakers in Europe and North America.

In terms of specific corresponding car models, Samsung SDI's batteries are mainly used in models from BMW, Audi, and Rivian. In Q1 this year, although sales of BMW models equipped with Samsung SDI batteries, such as the i4, i5, and iX, remained stable, Rivian's standard-range R1S and R1T models adopted LFP batteries not produced by Samsung SDI, negatively impacting Samsung SDI's battery installations. Additionally, the decline in sales of the Audi Q8 e-Tron further dragged down Samsung SDI's battery installation performance.

SK On primarily supplies batteries to the Hyundai Motor Group, Mercedes-Benz, and the Volkswagen Group. In Q1 this year, Hyundai Motor Group's sales rebounded following the launch of revised versions of the IONIQ 5 and EV6. Meanwhile, the stable sales of compact SUVs like the Mercedes-Benz EQA and EQB provided steady support for SK On's battery installations. Additionally, the strong sales of the Volkswagen ID.7 and ID.4 also drove growth in SK On's battery installations.

LG Energy Solution's batteries are mainly used in models from brands such as Tesla, Kia, Volkswagen, and Chevrolet. In Q1 this year, despite weak sales of Tesla models leading to a 17.3% YoY decline in LG Energy Solution's battery installations for Tesla, the strong sales of Volkswagen's ID series and Kia's EV3, as well as the growth in sales of Chevrolet models based on the Ultium platform, such as the Equinox, Blazer, and Silverado EV, still drove a 15.1% YoY increase in LG Energy Solution's overall battery installations. Additionally, among the top 10 global EV battery producers by installations in Q1, Panasonic, which primarily supplies batteries to Tesla, was the only Japanese company and the only other battery producer besides Samsung SDI to experience a decline in battery installations. In the first quarter of this year, Panasonic's battery installations fell 6.3% YoY to 7.2 GWh, ranking eighth. Affected by the reduced demand for Tesla's Model 3 and Y, Tesla's sales declined this year. Given its heavy reliance on Tesla, Panasonic's battery installations also decreased. However, with the upgrades to its 2170 and 4680 batteries, Panasonic's battery installations in the North American market are expected to rebound rapidly.

The Market Share Gap Between Chinese and South Korean Battery Producers Widens Further

It is worth noting that from 2017 to 2024, the compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of global EV battery installations reached 47.5%. In the first quarter of this year, leveraging the world's largest EV market, China's two EV battery giants, CATL and BYD, continued to increase their market shares, collectively accounting for 55% of the global EV battery market. The other four Chinese battery producers on the list, including SVOLT Energy Technology and Gotion High-tech, also enhanced their competitiveness in the global market with remarkable growth rates, achieving a 12.5% market share. This means that Chinese EV battery producers collectively hold a 67.5% market share in the global market. In contrast, the market share of South Korea's top three battery producers has shrunk from 23.2% YoY to 18.7%, further widening the gap between Chinese and South Korean battery producers. Meanwhile, Panasonic, a Japanese battery producer, only holds a 3.3% market share.

However, after Donald Trump was re-elected as the US President, the US has officially implemented stringent tariff policies on Chinese batteries and raw materials, escalating tensions in the global supply chain. As a countermeasure, South Korean battery companies are expanding joint ventures and cooperation with local automakers and strengthening their strategic deployment of local production in the US to ensure continued policy support in the North American market. However, given the high dependence of South Korea's battery industry on raw materials from China, medium and long-term measures to restructure the supply chain and diversify the source of procurement for raw materials have become urgent. Amidst a complex environment characterized by intensified US protectionism, stricter European environmental protection regulations, and rising price pressures from China, South Korea's battery industry must seek new growth strategies.

Please note that this news is sourced from https://auto.gasgoo.com/news/202505/20I70425288C501.shtml and translated by SMM.