SMM January 22 EV Battery Market Summary [SMM Evening News]

SMM January 22: Dealers in Anhui reported sluggish replacement demand in the e-bike lead-acid battery market. Although some manufacturers intended to raise battery selling prices due to the lead price increase in early January, wholesale market transactions remained weak, making it difficult to increase battery prices. The current price for the main model 48v20Ah is 390-400 yuan per unit. Manufacturers in Jiangsu reported overall weak demand in the e-bike battery market, with dealers making just-in-time procurement and maintaining high battery inventory. The current operating rate of factories has dropped to around 70%, and raw material lead is procured only on a just-in-time basis. Manufacturers in Zhejiang indicated that the e-bike lead-acid battery market is in the off-season, with persistently low finished product orders in January. As the Chinese New Year is less than a month away, considering the dealers’ customary stockpiling before the holiday, factory production lines have halted further reductions in operating rates and are passively building inventory as holiday stock. The operating rate remains at 70-80%.