The key parts of the electric car, the battery and the cells remain the prerogative of Asia, in particular of the Chinese company CATL which produced a third of the world’s production in the first half of 2022. Far behind, we find the South -Koreans and Japanese.
Although Europe is seeking to get rid of its dependence on Asian suppliers, the sector of batteries and cells for electrified vehicles remains the preserve of Asia, and more particularly of China.
A recent market analysis by South Korean research firm SNE Research shows that 203.4 GWh of batteries were installed in electric vehicles in the first half of 2022. The said report also shows that Chinese players are showing growth rates up, unlike the Japanese who see theirs below the market.
With 70.9 GWh, the Chinese company Contemporary Amperex Technology (CATL) is the world leader with a market share of 34.8% (+6.2 points compared to 2021, over the same period). It should be remembered that in 2021 CATL had produced 96.7 GWh (PDM of 32.6%) in a single year. This indicates that the pace of growth has accelerated. Ford’s main supplier (Mustang Mach-E and F-150 Lightning), the manufacturer was asked by Kia to equip its Niro SUV. It’s a first.
Far behind CATL, we find the South Korean LG Energy Solution, a subsidiary of LG, which holds 26.2 GWh (PDM of 14%, -9.4 points) followed a few miles away by BYD, another Chinese manufacturer which produced 24 GWh (11.8% market share, +5 points). It should be noted that these three players alone hold 61% of the global battery market.
The rest of the ranking is shared between Japanese, South Koreans and the inevitable Chinese. Thus, the Japanese Panasonic, which depends a lot on Tesla, is demoted to fourth place with 19.5 GWh (PDM of 9.6%, -5.4 points) while the fifth and sixth places are occupied by the South- Koreans SK On (13.2 GWh, market share of 6.5%) and Samsung SDI (10 GWh, market share of 4.9%).
The bottom of the ranking, i.e. from seventh to tenth place, is dominated by the Chinese CALB (8.4 GWh, PDM of 4.1%), Gotion High-Tech (5.8 GWh, 2.9% market share), Sunwoda (3.1 GWh, 1.5% market share), and SVOLT Energy (2.6 GWh, 1.3% market share).