China’s power battery install rate fell to 34% in April, hitting a historic low despite rising output. Battery output for different battery types from December 2020 to April 2026 Total power and other battery output reached 184GWh in April, up 34% YoY; cumulative output for January to April stood at 671GWh, up 28%. The share of batteries installed in vehicles dropped from 44% in 2025 to 34% in April 2026; ternary batteries recorded 36%, LFP at 33%, signaling weak automotive demand. Battery installation for different battery types from December 2020 to April 2026 Rapid growth in global energy storage demand diverted capacity away from EVs; the energy crisis linked to the Russia-Ukraine conflict accelerated this shift. Battery exports now act as a key variable shaping domestic supply-demand balance. In terms of terminal market, China recorded 895,000 NEV installations in April, down 14% YoY; BEV passenger cars fell 16% to 536,000 units, PHEVs dropped 18% to 280,000 units. Electric trucks stood at 65,000 units, showing divergence across segments. From January to April, total battery installations rose 15%; commercial vehicles led growth. Electric trucks surged 61% in April, emerging as a rare growth driver. EV battery installations across various vehicle types from 2020 to 2026 Battery application structure remains stable. BEV passenger cars rank first; electric trucks move to second; PHEVs rank third, followed by PHEV special vehicles and electric buses. Technology metrics improved. Vehicles with energy density above 160Wh/kg accounted for 10%, up from 6% a year earlier; low-end products below 125Wh/kg fell to zero, indicating capacity clearance. Market concentration remains high. CATL held 47.1% share in Q2; BYD at 17%; combined share near 65%. Second-tier players Gotion, CALB, EVE Energy posted 6.6%, 6.3%, 5.0% respectively. Market share of different battery enterprises from 2020 to 2026 In LFP batteries, CATL extended its lead with 40.5% share; BYD fell to 21.2%, down 5.6 percentage points YoY. In ternary batteries, BYD’s shift toward LFP benefited CATL, SVOLT, CALB and LG. Market share tilted further toward leading players; CATL held 76.4% share, peaking at 82.4% in Q2.
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