- China accounted for 57% of global EV battery installations through Sep 2026, reflecting continued scale-driven expansion as domestic makers capture share from overseas incumbents.
- CATL led with 389.2 GWh installations, up 24.9% year on year and a 39.1% global share, while BYD reached 150.9 GWh with a 15.2% share.
- Rising LFP penetration and larger battery packs boost Chinese suppliers, but risks include slowing domestic demand, overseas scaling, and tighter margins for second-tier entrants.
Global installations of power batteries for electric vehicles (EVs), plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) and hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) reached 994.5 GWh in the first nine months of 2026, up 19.7% year on year, according to the latest data from South Korean market research firm SNE Research.
Installations in September alone hit a monthly record of 145.1 GWh. However, the year-on-year growth rate slowed to 15.8%, from 14.3% in August.
Regional performance in the global automotive battery market diverged further during the first three quarters.
China recorded 567.8 GWh in installations, up 16.2% year on year and accounting for 57% of the global total.
Installations grew 33.1% in Europe, 74.1% in other Asian markets and 176.8% in South America. North America, by contrast, saw installations fall 24.3% year on year to 85.9 GWh.
SNE data also showed that lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries accounted for 57.7% of global installations in the first three quarters, up 5.2 percentage points from 52.5% in the same period last year.
Meanwhile, average battery capacity per vehicle increased 11.2% year on year, from 35.7 kWh to 39.7 kWh.
The increase in battery capacity per vehicle has pushed battery installation growth above the growth rate of vehicle sales.
In terms of supplier rankings, Chinese firms accounted for seven of the world’s 10 largest power battery suppliers, with a combined market share of 73%, up 3.6 percentage points from a year earlier.
The three Japanese and South Korean suppliers in the top 10 saw their combined share fall to 14.6%, down 3.7 percentage points year on year.
CATL and BYD retained the top two positions. Their combined battery installations reached 540.1 GWh in the first eight months of the year, accounting for 54.3% of the global market.
CATL remained firmly in first place, with installations rising 24.9% year on year to 389.2 GWh. Its global market share increased by 1.6 percentage points to 39.1%.
BYD ranked second with 150.9 GWh in installations, up just 7.4% year on year. Its global market share declined to 15.2% from 16.9% in the same period last year.
The slowdown in BYD’s growth was largely attributable to weaker performance in its domestic market.
Battery installations in China fell 7.1% year on year, from 112.9 GWh to 104.9 GWh. Overseas installations, however, rose 66.8% to 45.9 GWh from 27.5 GWh.
China’s second-tier battery manufacturers generally maintained growth rates of around 30%. Gotion High-Tech ranked fourth with 50.3 GWh in installations, up 48.1% year on year.
CALB ranked fifth with 50.1 GWh, an increase of 27.1%. EVE Energy and SVOLT Energy recorded growth of 60.4% and 37.9%, respectively, with installations reaching 36 GWh and 25.7 GWh.
REPT Battero posted the fastest growth among the listed suppliers. Its installations surged 118.7% year on year to 24.2 GWh, placing it tenth and ahead of Sunwoda, which ranked 11th with 23 GWh.
Japanese and South Korean battery makers generally posted weaker results. LG Energy Solution ranked third with 81.9 GWh in installations, up just 0.7% year on year.
Panasonic recorded 35.6 GWh, down 0.8%, while SK On’s installations fell 18.1% to 28.3 GWh.
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