In May, China's power battery installation volume reached 57.1 gigawatt-hours (GWh), marking a 5.5% month-on-month (MoM) increase and a 43.1% year-on-year (YoY) surge, according to the China Automotive Power Battery Industry Innovation Alliance ("CAPBIIA").

Among them, ternary batteries accounted for 10.5 GWh, representing 18.4% of the total, with MoM and YoY growth of 13.1% and 1.6%, respectively. Lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries dominated with 46.5 GWh, or 81.6% of the total, growing 3.9% MoM and 57.7% YoY.

A total of 37 power battery manufacturers in China got their batteries installed onto new energy vehicles (NEVs) in May, consistent with the same month last year. The top three, five, and ten companies collectively contributed 41.6 GWh, 46.8 GWh, and 54 GWh, respectively, accounting for 72.9%, 82.1%, and 94.7% of total installations. The top ten's combined share was down 2 percentage points from a year earlier, reflecting a slight market diversification.

For the first five months of the year, cumulative power battery installations totaled 241.4 GWh, soaring 50.4% year-on-year. Ternary batteries made up 44.8 GWh, or 18.6% of the total, showing a 12.4% YoY decline, while LFP batteries surged to 196.5 GWh, or 81.4%, shooting up 79.8% YoY.

Over the same five-month period, 50 power battery companies supplied the NEV market—two more than last year. The top three suppliers contributed 176.1 GWh (73%), the top five 198.4 GWh (82.2%), and the top ten 226 GWh (93.6%). The top ten's combined share decreased by 2.5 percentage points compared to the same period last year.

BYD's Blade Battery installed onto new energy vehicle; photo credit: BYD

In terms of production, China's combined output of power and other types of batteries in May stood at 123.5 GWh, a 4.4% MoM increase and a 47.9% YoY rise. For the January–May period, cumulative output reached 568.1 GWh, zooming up 62.6% from a year earlier.

Battery sales also climbed. In May, total sales reached 123.6 GWh, up 4.7% MoM and 58.1% YoY. Of this, power batteries accounted for 87.5 GWh, or 70.8% of the total, with sales rising 1% from April and 54.1% from the previous year.

From January through May, cumulative battery sales totaled 527.5 GWh, a 69.8% YoY spike. Power batteries made up 391.4 GWh, or 74.2% of the total, up 56.2% from a year earlier, while other battery types reached 136.1 GWh, or 25.8%, soaring 126.1%.

In May, China exported 19 GWh of batteries, a 14.6% drop from April but a 23% YoY jump. Exports accounted for 15.4% of the month’s total sales. Power battery exports reached 13.5 GWh (71.1% of total exports), down 6.3% MoM but up 30% YoY.

Over the first five months of the year, battery exports totaled 102.9 GWh, a 68% increase from the same period last year, representing 19.5% of total battery sales. Of those, power batteries accounted for 65.8 GWh (63.9% of total exports), up 29.2% YoY.