From Jan to May 2026, Global[1] EV Battery Usage[2] Posted 469.2GWh, a 16.3% YoY Growth
- Among the
top 10 rankers, 7 Chinese battery makers accounted for 72.6%, a 2.1%p YoY growth
From Jan to
May 2026, the amount of energy held by batteries
for electric vehicles (EV, PHEV, HEV) registered worldwide was approximately 469.2GWh,
a 16.3% YoY growth.
(Source: 2026 June Global Monthly EV and Battery Monthly Tracker, SNE Research)
In the global EV battery market from January to May 2026, CATL maintained its top position globally, recording 188.4GWh, a 22.9% year-on-year growth. its market share rose by 2.2 percentage points from the same period last year to 40.2%. BYD secured the 2nd position with a 14.4% market share, with a 0.4 year-on-year increase to 67.6GWh. The combined market share of CATL and BYD reached 54.6%, demonstrating that leading Chinese companies continue to maintain a strong dominance in the global EV battery market.
(Source: 2026 June Global Monthly EV and Battery Monthly Tracker, SNE Research)
Among domestic companies, LG Energy Solution maintained the third position, recording 41.0GWh, a 7.3% year-on-year increase. However, as its growth lagged behind the market average, its market share fell slightly from 9.5% in the same period last year to 8.7%. LG Energy Solution's batteries are installed in major global OEMs, including Tesla, Hyundai Motor Group, GM, and Volkswagen. The analysis suggests that expanded EV sales from some of these customers contributed to the increase in battery usage. Nevertheless, its market share expansion was limited due to the rapid growth of Chinese competitors combined with demand volatility among major automakers.
SK On recorded 15.8GWh from Jan to May 2026, marking a 5.8% year-on-year decrease. Its market share also declined from 4.2% to 3.4%. While SK On’s batteries are supplied to major automakers such as Hyundai Motor Group, Ford, Volkswagen, and Mercedes-Benz, the decline appears to reflect slowing EV sales from key customers in North America and Europe, as well as production adjustments for certain models. In particular, the slowdown in EV demand within the U.S. market is acting as a major factor that amplifies usage volatility for battery manufacturers heavily reliant on North American clients.
Among Japanese battery manufacturers, Panasonic ranked 8th, recording 15.1GWh, a 8.5% year-on-year decrease. The analysis indicates that shifting sales trends across different models of its major customer, Tesla, were directly reflected in Panasonic's battery usage. While Tesla continues to maintain a high volume of sales in the global EV market, changes in demand by model and slowing sales in certain regions are impacting its battery suppliers' performance. Consequently, Panasonic is focusing on improving production efficiency in North America and securing competitiveness in next-generation cylindrical batteries to reduce volatility stemming from its Tesla-centric supply structure.
The growth of Chinese companies was prominent across the upper ranks. CALB climbed to the 4th place, recording 23.8GWh, a 36.3% year-on-year growth, while Gotion took the 5th place with 21.7GWh, up 37.0%. EVE also recorded 15.4GWh, a 35.2% increase, and SVOLT grew by 35.3% to reach 12.1GWh. Sunwoda also expanded by 13.8% year-on-year to 11.4GWh. Backed by their strong domestic automaker customer base in China, these Chinese manufacturers continue their upward trajectory while expanding their supply scope to overseas OEMs and diversifying into applications such as commercial vehicles and Energy Storage Systems (ESS).
BYD maintained its second-place position globally, recording 67.6GWh, but this marked a 0.4% decrease compared to the same period last year. BYD’s structure shows that its battery usage volatility is relatively high, as it is directly linked to the sales trends of its own electric vehicles. However, along with the expansion of BYD brand's overseas sales in the global market, enhancing product competitiveness—led by its Blade Battery and ultra-fast charging technology—is highly likely to serve as a mid-to-long-term growth engine.
(Source: 2026 June Global Monthly EV and Battery Monthly Tracker, SNE Research)
During the first five months of 2026, the global electric vehicle (EV) secondary battery market has entered a new phase characterized by a simultaneous interplay of policy shifts, tariffs, price competition, and product portfolio restructuring, moving beyond a simple phase of volume expansion. While global EV sales maintain growth potential driven by a recovery in non-Chinese markets—such as Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Latin America—and rising adoption in emerging markets, demand volatility is intensifying in North America and China due to policy changes and production adjustments by individual automakers.
Concurrently, the competitive landscape among battery manufacturers is becoming increasingly complex, fueled by the expanding adoption of LFP (lithium iron phosphate) batteries, surging ESS (energy storage system) demand, the overseas expansion of Chinese players, and tightening supply chain regulations in the US and Europe. Consequently, the key variables defining future market competition will hinge on the scale and cost competitiveness of Chinese manufacturers, such as CATL and BYD, balanced against the customer diversification, high-value cells, ESS solutions, and localized supply capabilities of Korean and Japanese counterparties.
[2] Based on battery installation for xEV registered during the relevant period.