LG Energy Solution Ranks 1st in Non-China Battery Markets as of May; SK Innovation Pushes CATL to 4th Place

Samsung SDI Maintains 3rd Place as Last Year
CATL Drops to 4th but Battery Sales Exceed Fourfold

[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Yoon-joo] LG Energy Solution maintained its top position in the global electric vehicle battery installation rankings, excluding the Chinese market, for sales from January to May this year. Samsung SDI and SK Innovation also continued their triple-digit high growth. SK Innovation reclaimed the 4th place position previously held by China's CATL. However, CATL appears to be continuously aiming for the 3rd place spot, threatening Samsung SDI and SK Innovation.

According to SNE Research on the 26th, the battery energy capacity of electric vehicles registered worldwide, excluding China, reached 46.2 GWh from January to May 2021, more than doubling compared to the same period last year.

By company ranking, LG Energy Solution surged 2.7 times to 16.4 GWh, maintaining its 1st place position. It was followed by Panasonic (12.8 GWh), Samsung SDI (4.7 GWh), SK Innovation (4.5 GWh), and CATL (4.5 GWh).

LG Energy Solution further widened the gap with 2nd place Panasonic. Samsung SDI held onto 3rd place as it did last year, and SK Innovation, with about 2.5 times high growth, pushed CATL out and returned to 4th place.

Although CATL was pushed down to 5th place, it showed more than fourfold rapid growth, driven by the surge in sales of pure electric vehicles such as the Tesla Model 3 (Chinese-made European export volume), Peugeot e-2008, and Opel (Vauxhall) Corsa.

The growth of the three domestic companies was led by strong sales of models equipped with their batteries. LG Energy Solution's high growth was driven mainly by the sharp increase in sales of Volkswagen ID.3 and ID.4, and Ford Mustang Mach-E.

Samsung SDI's growth was supported by increased sales of the Audi E-tron EV, Fiat 500, and Ford Kuga PHEV, while SK Innovation continued its rapid growth thanks to strong sales of Kia Niro BEV, Hyundai Kona BEV, and Mercedes-Benz GLE PHEV.

An SNE Research official stated, "The three Korean companies have established a solid position in the global electric vehicle market excluding China, but as CATL continues to rise, competition is becoming fiercer. How the domestic industry will pioneer new paths is a key point of interest."