On Sept. 7, 2026, SNE Research released the latest data on global power battery installations for January-July 2026.
The data showed that cumulative global battery usage for electric vehicles (EVs, PHEVs and HEVs) reached about 725.2 GWh in January-July 2026, up 20.4% year on year. Usage in July alone was 116.0 GWh, up 22.1% year on year, continuing the trend of monthly growth outpacing cumulative growth.
In terms of market share, seven Chinese battery companies ranked among the top 10 global power battery installers in January-July 2026: CATL, BYD, CALB, Gotion High-tech, EVE Energy, SVOLT and REPT BATTERO. Their combined market share reached 72.8%, up 3.1% year on year. Among Korean battery companies, LG Energy Solution and SK On saw their market shares decline, with the two Korean firms holding a combined 11.4% share in January-July. Panasonic, saw its share fall to 3.6%.
In terms of year-on-year changes in installations, SK On was the only company among the top 10 global power battery installers in January-July 2026 to post negative growth.
Among Chinese companies, CATL topped the global EV battery market with shipments of 289.6 GWh in January-July 2026, up 26.6% year on year. Its market share rose from 38.0% to 39.9%, up 1.9 % and approaching the 40% mark. BYD, in second place, grew only 4.7% to 106.7 GWh, while its market share fell from 16.9% to 14.7%, down 2.2%. The two companies had a combined market share of 54.6%, down 0.3% from 54.9% a year earlier, but still more than half the global market. Within the top two, the growth centre clearly shifted toward CATL.
BYD’s growth rate was far below the market average. Given the company’s structure, in which EV sales are directly linked to battery usage, this appears to reflect the impact of slower domestic sales growth in China. However, as its overseas sales network and local production bases continue to expand, and as product competitiveness centred on blade batteries and fast-charging technology continues to strengthen, the growth rate of its battery usage outside China is expected to become a key variable in defending its market share in the future.
The combined market share of seven Chinese companies reached 72.8%, up 3.1% from the same period last year. This is interpreted as a result achieved by expanding scale through domestic market sales and cost competitiveness based mainly on LFP, while broadening their supply reach into areas such as overseas vehicle manufacturers, commercial vehicles, and energy storage systems (ESS).
Among Korean companies, LG Energy Solution retained third place with sales of 60.3 GWh in January-July 2026, up 4.5% year on year. Although its sales grew through continued supplies to major global automakers such as Tesla, Hyundai Motor Group, General Motors and Volkswagen, the growth rate was far below the market average, causing its market share to fall from 9.6% to 8.3%, a drop of 1.3%. Analysts believe that with EV sales growth rates varying among customers in North America and Europe, Chinese companies expanded significantly faster, leading to a contraction in LG Energy Solution’s relative market share.
SK On ranked eighth with sales of 22.3 GWh, down 9.8% year on year, and its market share fell from 4.1% to 3.1%, down 1.0%. Although SK On’s batteries are used by Hyundai Motor Group, Ford, Volkswagen and Mercedes-Benz, the recovery in its battery usage has been delayed as some customers in North America and Europe continued to adjust their EV production plans. It is expected that whether it can raise capacity utilization at its North American production base and expand supplies to models on new platforms will be key to its performance rebound.
Among Japanese companies, Panasonic ranked sixth with sales of 26.2 GWh, up 7.6% year on year. Although sales growth of its main customer Tesla in North America supported growth in its battery usage, the increase still lagged the overall market, so its market share fell from 4.0% to 3.6%, down 0.4%. While maintaining a supply structure centred on Tesla, Panasonic is simultaneously advancing the stable start-up of new production lines in North America and preparations for mass production of next-generation cylindrical batteries. The pace of capacity expansion is therefore expected to determine the future trend of its market share.
SNE Research analyzed that the global rechargeable battery market for EVs maintained growth of around 20% in January-July 2026, but performance varied by region and company. By region, Europe grew 29.3%, China 16.6%, Asia excluding China surged 77.1%, South America surged 192.6%, while North America fell 20.2%.
In the United States, after the federal EV tax credit ended at the end of September last year, the share of BEVs in new-car sales fell to about 6%. While the discontinuation of major models such as the Ford F-150 Lightning, Honda Prologue and Volkswagen ID.4 dealt a direct blow to battery demand. In contrast, BEV registrations in Europe rose 35% in the first half, with their share exceeding that of gasoline cars on a half-year basis for the first time.
In India, Southeast Asia, Brazil and Australia, sales mainly of Chinese-brand vehicles also expanded rapidly.
Source: WeChat Official Account——马里亚纳锂电
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