According to SNE Research, in the first seven months of 2026, the total installed capacity of power batteries for newly registered battery electric vehicles (BEVs), plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), and hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) across 80 countries worldwide reached 725.2 GWh, a year-on-year increase of 20.4%. In the same period last year, the figure was 602.2 GWh, representing a net increase of 123 GWh.
In July alone, the installed capacity reached 116.0 GWh, up 22.1% year-on-year, which is 1.7 percentage points higher than the cumulative growth rate for the first seven months. From the cumulative data perspective, the newly added installed capacity is further concentrating among Chinese suppliers.
Chinese Companies Occupy Seven of the Top Ten Global EV Battery Spots, with a Combined Share Exceeding 70%
Among the top ten global EV Battery manufacturers, seven are Chinese companies, holding a combined market share of 72.8%, an increase of 3.1 percentage points year-on-year.
Calculated based on the ranking data, these seven companies added a total of 108.8 GWh in installed capacity during the first seven months, accounting for approximately 88.5% of the global net increase in the same period, making them the primary source of market growth in this round.
CATL (Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Limited) contributed the largest increment. The company's installed capacity in the first seven months reached 289.6 GWh, a year-on-year increase of 26.6%. Its market share rose from 38.0% to 39.9%, just 0.1 percentage points away from 40%.
Calculated based on the data from the two periods, CATL added 60.9 GWh in installed capacity, accounting for approximately 49.5% of the global net increase in the same period, nearly half.
BYD (Build Your Dreams) recorded an installed capacity of 106.7 GWh in the first seven months, a year-on-year increase of 4.7%, maintaining its position as the second-largest globally. Its market share stood at 14.7%, down 2.2 percentage points year-on-year, but its installation scale still significantly leads other manufacturers.
CATL and BYD together command 54.6% of the global market, and the "duopoly" pattern remains unchanged. However, CATL grew faster during the same period, widening the gap in installed capacity between the two companies from 126.8 GWh in the same period last year to 182.9 GWh.
BYD's advantage lies in the synergy between its EV Battery and complete vehicle businesses. As its overseas sales network gradually expands and local production capabilities steadily advance, whether its Blade Battery and fast-charging technologies can be converted into more overseas orders will affect its installation growth rate in the next phase.
Competition among Chinese companies is equally fierce. CALB (China Aviation Lithium Battery) installed 37.3 GWh in the first seven months, a year-on-year increase of 34.3%; Gotion High-Tech installed 34.0 GWh, up 44.2% year-on-year; EVE Energy and SVOLT grew by 53.1% and 39.1%, respectively.
Among the top ten companies, REPT BATTERO recorded the highest year-on-year growth rate. Its installed capacity increased from 7.7 GWh to 16.9 GWh, a year-on-year surge of 118.5%, entering the global top ten for the first time, while Sunwoda dropped out of the list. The rankings of the global top ten are still changing, with both installation growth rate and absolute scale affecting corporate rankings.
These companies are based on the domestic Chinese market, relying on the cost competitiveness of lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries to expand their scale, while simultaneously expanding into overseas complete vehicle manufacturers and commercial vehicles. The combined share of Chinese companies has further increased year-on-year, and internal rankings are also shifting.
Data on market concentration reveals another characteristic. The combined share of CATL and BYD decreased by 0.3 percentage points year-on-year, and the share of the top six manufacturers dropped from approximately 77.0% to 76.3%; however, the combined share of the top ten rose from 87.4% to 87.9%.
The newly added installed capacity did not all flow to the top two companies; mid-tier manufacturers also gained more market space.
Japanese and South Korean Manufacturers Grow Below Market Average, Overseas Operational Efficiency Draws Attention
The common issue faced by Japanese and South Korean manufacturers is that their growth rates are below the market average.
LG Energy Solution installed 60.3 GWh in the first seven months, a year-on-year increase of 4.5%, maintaining its third-place ranking, but its market share fell from 9.6% to 8.3%. Panasonic installed 26.2 GWh, up 7.6% year-on-year, with its share dropping to 3.6%.
Both companies saw an increase in installed capacity, but failed to keep pace with the global market's 20.4% growth rate, which is also lower than most of the listed Chinese companies.
SK On is the only company among the three Japanese and South Korean manufacturers to experience a decline in installed capacity. It installed 22.3 GWh in the first seven months, a year-on-year decrease of 9.8%, with its market share dropping from 4.1% to 3.1%. Some of the company's North American and European customers are still adjusting their electric vehicle production plans, resulting in a slower recovery in installed capacity.
For Japanese and South Korean manufacturers, improving the capacity utilization rate of regional production bases, securing more new vehicle model projects, and diversifying the customer structure are critical factors for improving growth rates and stabilizing market share. Building overseas factories is just the first step; after the ribbon-cutting ceremony, whether the production lines can operate stably and whether orders can continuously come in are the real tests.
Supply chain regulations are also changing the rules of competition. The EU battery passport requirements will apply to relevant categories such as electric vehicle batteries entering the EU market or put into use from February 18, 2027, and the guidelines issued by the EU have further clarified the data requirements for battery passports.
SNE Research believes that rules in North America regarding critical minerals, battery components, and supply chain origins are also one of the factors affecting the overseas layout of battery companies.
Going forward, as batteries expand overseas, in addition to comparing performance and price, they must also bring a verifiable "resume". Whether production bases can operate stably and whether supply chain information can meet traceability requirements may both affect cooperation between companies and local automakers.
The aforementioned 725.2 GWh only covers the statistical scope of automotive batteries. Beyond this, the growth in demand for energy storage and data centers is also bringing new business opportunities for battery companies. The operational efficiency of regional factories, customer structure, product mix, and supply chain management will increasingly affect corporate market performance.
Data from the first seven months indicates that Chinese companies hold an advantage in installation scale. SNE Research believes that the domestic market size and the cost competitiveness of LFP batteries are critical reasons for the increased share of Chinese companies.
After entering overseas markets, companies must also face tests in production operations, customer expansion, and compliance management. After all, it is relatively easy to write capacity in plans; to truly turn it into stable installed capacity, it depends on whether the factories can run and whether customers can stay.