Battery Usage Outside China from January to August This Year 222.1 GWh... Korea's Top 3 Companies Account for 46.4%

The total battery usage installed in global electric vehicles (excluding China) sold from January to August this year reached approximately 221.1 GWh, marking an 11.1% growth compared to the same period last year.

According to energy research firm SNE Research on the 10th, the cumulative battery usage for global electric vehicles (January to August) by the three domestic battery companies?LG Energy Solution, SK On, and Samsung SDI?recorded a market share of 46.4%, showing a growth trend. LG Energy Solution maintained its 2nd place with a 3.2% (57.3 GWh) increase compared to the same period last year, while SK On achieved an 8.9% (24.4 GWh) growth rate, ranking 3rd. Samsung SDI recorded the highest growth rate among the three domestic battery companies at 9.8% (21.3 GWh).

Looking at the battery usage of the three domestic companies according to electric vehicle sales, Samsung SDI showed the highest growth rate among the three, driven by strong sales of BMW and Rivian. Sales of BMW i4, i5, i7, and Rivian R1S, R1T equipped with Samsung SDI batteries showed favorable growth compared to the same period last year.

SK On showed growth in battery usage driven by sales from Hyundai Motor Group, Mercedes, Ford, and Volkswagen. Sales of Hyundai Motor Group’s Ioniq 5, EV6, EV9, which showed sluggish sales early in the year, along with Mercedes-Benz EQA, EQB, and Ford F-150 Lightning, recovered, acting as key factors in SK On’s battery usage growth.

LG Energy Solution maintained its battery usage growth with steady sales of popular vehicles in Europe and North America such as Tesla Model 3/Y, Volkswagen ID.4, Ford Mustang Mach-E, and GM Cadillac Lyriq. Additionally, sales of Hyundai Motor’s Ioniq 6 and Kona Electric equipped with LG Energy Solution batteries in Europe increased significantly compared to the same period last year.

From January to August this year, electric vehicle (BEV+PHEV) sales excluding HEVs in the European region showed a decline of about 2.7% compared to the same period last year. Tesla’s sales also declined, resulting in a decrease in LG Energy Solution’s battery usage in the European region. However, electric vehicles equipped with Samsung SDI and SK On batteries showed strong sales, leading to an increase in their battery usage.

Panasonic, the only Japanese company to rank in the top 10, recorded battery usage of 22.4 GWh this year, ranking 4th, but experienced a 22.5% decline compared to the same period last year. The main cause of Panasonic’s decline is analyzed to be the decrease in sales due to the facelift of the Model 3 early in the year. Recently, Model 3 sales have been expanding significantly, and Panasonic is expected to launch improved Tesla-oriented 2170 and 4680 cells, which is anticipated to rapidly recover market share centered on Tesla in the future.

China’s CATL showed a growth rate of 6.9% (58.5 GWh) and recorded the highest market share in the global market excluding China. Currently, major global automakers such as Tesla, BMW, Mercedes, Volkswagen, and Hyundai Motor have adopted CATL batteries. In particular, CATL is expected to rapidly expand its global market share by resolving the oversupply issue in the Chinese domestic market through exports to overseas markets such as Brazil, Thailand, Israel, and Australia.