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SNE Research estimates that six Chinese battery makers supplied 56.4% of battery capacity used in electric and hybrid vehicles outside China from January through September 2026. The market grew 24.7% year over year to 426.7 GWh, while the combined share of three South Korean suppliers fell to 26.5%.
Six Chinese battery makers held 56.4% of the global electric and hybrid vehicle battery market outside China in the first nine months of 2026, according to a new analysis by South Korean research firm SNE Research. Their share rose from 43.1% a year earlier as the non-China market grew to 426.7 GWh, while the combined share of three South Korean suppliers fell.
SNE Research said battery capacity for battery-electric vehicles, plug-in hybrids and other hybrids outside China increased 24.7% from January through September compared with the same period in 2025. Chinese suppliers CATL, BYD, Gotion, SVOLT, CALB and EVE Energy collectively gained 13.3 percentage points of market share, according to the analysis. CATL and BYD alone accounted for 44.5%, up from 36.7% in the same period of 2023.
CATL ranked first with 143.7 GWh of battery capacity outside China, up 47% year over year. Its share reached 33.7%. LG Energy Solution was second at 69.8 GWh, down 4.9%, while BYD ranked third with 45.9 GWh, up 67%. Panasonic placed fourth at 35.6 GWh, down 0.8%, and SK On was fifth at 28.2 GWh, down 18%.
The three South Korean firms—LG Energy Solution, SK On and Samsung SDI—together supplied 113.0 GWh, a 13.5% decline from a year earlier. Their combined share fell from 38.2% to 26.5%. SNE Research reported particularly steep North American declines for the group: its installed capacity there nearly halved, from 56.1 GWh to 28.1 GWh. Their volumes rose modestly in Europe and Asia.
The figures point to a shift in competition beyond China, where battery suppliers are vying for business from automakers selling electric and hybrid vehicles. Chinese companies’ reported share now exceeds half of this market, while the combined position of established Korean suppliers has weakened. These shifts matter to automakers because battery availability, supplier choice and cost can affect vehicle production plans and prices.
SNE Research linked the gains in part to growing use of lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries. It reported that LFP’s share of the non-China market rose from 15.8% to 27.7% over the period. The analysts said Chinese manufacturers lead in LFP, and that its uptake in Europe is increasing, particularly in entry-level vehicles where price competitiveness is a key consideration. The market-share figures do not, by themselves, show how much of the change came from chemistry, individual vehicle launches or other factors.
Regional performance was uneven. Demand in Europe and Asia compensated for continuing weakness in North America, according to SNE Research. The pattern highlights that a supplier’s overall results can depend heavily on where its automaker customers sell vehicles and how those regional markets develop.
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Regional Demand Reshapes Rankings
The analysis covers capacity of batteries used in BEVs, PHEVs and other hybrids, rather than only fully electric cars. Its market-share figures refer specifically to markets outside China. SNE Research said this market grew faster than the worldwide total including China: growth was 24.7% excluding China and 19.7% including it. That comparison suggests weaker growth within China over the measured period, though the report does not provide further detail in the supplied material about the causes.
Individual company results show how the regional split affected rankings. CATL’s volume in Europe rose 35% to 96.8 GWh, and its Asian volume doubled to 27.1 GWh. BYD’s reported growth spanned Europe, Asia and South America. By contrast, LG Energy Solution’s North American volume fell 45%, from 29.9 GWh to 16.5 GWh, despite increases in Europe and Asia.
Other suppliers also had sharply different results. Gotion grew 153.8% to 17.6 GWh, passing Samsung SDI, whose volume fell 34.4% to 15.0 GWh. SVOLT rose 102% to 13.1 GWh, CALB increased 88.5% to 10.6 GWh, and EVE Energy climbed 215% to 9.5 GWh. These figures place all three among the top 10 suppliers in SNE Research’s ranking.
“The combined market share of the six Chinese companies rose from 43.1% to 56.4%, exceeding half of the non-China market.”
— SNE Research
Limits of the Market Figures
SNE Research’s data measure battery capacity associated with vehicle sales and usage, but the supplied report does not detail its full methodology, the underlying vehicle-registration sources or how it assigns capacity to suppliers. The figures should be read as the research firm’s estimates, not as a complete accounting of manufacturing output or future contracts.
The report also does not establish why North American demand weakened or whether the declines among Korean suppliers will persist. It gives market and regional totals but does not quantify how much of the change reflects policy, vehicle production, consumer demand, inventory or specific automaker sourcing decisions. The quoted LFP discussion is incomplete in the source excerpt, so no further conclusion about the technology’s North American role can be drawn from it.
Watch Regional Demand and Chemistry
The next useful comparison will be a subsequent SNE Research update showing whether Chinese suppliers maintain their gains and whether Korean companies recover as regional battery use changes. Readers should also watch for new company-level data on North American installations, where the Korean trio recorded the steepest combined decline in this report.
Automaker sourcing announcements, vehicle launches and further figures on battery chemistry could help explain whether the shift continues. SNE Research’s current analysis covers only the first nine months of 2026; it does not forecast full-year results or establish how supplier shares will develop after September.
Key Questions
What share of the market did Chinese battery makers hold?
SNE Research says six Chinese suppliers held 56.4% of the market for EV and hybrid vehicle batteries outside China from January through September 2026, up from 43.1% a year earlier.
How large was the market outside China?
The measured market reached 426.7 GWh in the first nine months of 2026, a 24.7% increase from the same period in 2025, according to SNE Research.
Which suppliers led the ranking?
CATL ranked first with 143.7 GWh, followed by LG Energy Solution at 69.8 GWh and BYD at 45.9 GWh. The figures cover battery capacity used in BEVs, plug-in hybrids and other hybrids outside China.
Why did Chinese suppliers gain share?
SNE Research points to expanding volumes across regions and the increasing use of LFP batteries, whose share of the non-China market rose from 15.8% to 27.7%. The report does not quantify the contribution of each factor to the market-share shift.
Did all regions grow at the same pace?
No. SNE Research said Europe and Asia compensated for continued weakness in North America. The report also found that growth was 24.7% outside China versus 19.7% when China was included.
Source: electrive.com
