Batteries: price drops and global expansion strengthen market competitiveness

The global battery market continues its rapid expansion, driven by falling prices and increasing production capacities, leading to heightened competition among major global producers.

Partagez:

The battery industry is undergoing a major transformation, marked by rapid demand growth and a continuous decline in prices. In 2024, global battery demand reached a record with over 1 terawatt-hour (TWh) used for electric vehicle (EV) production. At the same time, battery pack prices fell below USD 100 per kilowatt-hour, a crucial threshold for competing with thermal vehicles on cost. This decline is largely driven by reduced raw material prices, particularly lithium, which has fallen by more than 85% since 2022.

In 2024, global battery production capacity reached 3 TWh, and announced projects could triple this capacity within five years. This rapid expansion highlights the entry of the battery industry into a new phase, where economies of scale, manufacturing efficiency, and speed of innovation adoption are becoming key factors for competitiveness.

china’s dominance in the global market

China remains the leading producer of batteries, accounting for over three-quarters of global production. In 2024, battery prices there fell more quickly than anywhere else, dropping by nearly 30%, allowing many Chinese electric vehicles to become more competitive compared to their thermal counterparts. Several factors explain this competitiveness: substantial expertise gained through concentrated production, full supply chain integration, and a cost-reduction policy through optimized manufacturing processes.

Chinese companies such as CATL and BYD have rapidly scaled up by streamlining production and benefiting from below-market prices for essential minerals. Their focus on lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery technology, which is less expensive, has allowed China to capture nearly half of the global electric vehicle market, up from 15% five years ago. This battery chemistry, 30% cheaper than lithium nickel cobalt manganese (NCM) batteries, remains competitive in terms of electric vehicle range.

challenges for europe and the united states

Europe faces significant challenges in catching up to China. Production costs are about 50% higher than in China, and the supply chain remains fragile, with a heavy reliance on imports. The bankruptcy of Northvolt, one of Europe’s largest producers, highlights the difficulties of adopting viable large-scale production models. European companies, although active in LFP battery production, must intensify efforts to overcome this cost gap.

The U.S. industry has seen its battery production capacity double since 2022 thanks to federal tax incentives, reaching 200 GWh in 2024. However, the U.S. continues to rely on imports for certain key components, leaving its supply chain vulnerable to fluctuations in the global market. The growth of stationary battery applications, particularly in the energy sector, may offer an additional opportunity to diversify demand.

global expansion and new production hubs

Regions such as Southeast Asia and Morocco are also emerging as strategic centres for battery production. Indonesia, with its massive nickel reserves, has attracted significant investments to establish electric battery production plants. Likewise, Morocco, rich in phosphate, a key mineral for LFP batteries, benefits from partnerships with European and U.S. companies to develop its production sector.

Southeast Asia, backed by Chinese investments, could become a technological hub for batteries and their components, enabling rapid technology transfer. Investment initiatives, which reached over USD 15 billion in 2022, aim to reduce dependence on traditional markets and enhance the competitiveness of new installations.

Asian developer Gurīn Energy selected Saft to supply a battery storage system exceeding 1 GWh in Fukushima, marking a new stage in Japan’s energy storage deployment.
Chinese lithium-ion battery manufacturer CBAK Energy confirmed a $11.6mn order for LFP cylindrical batteries to power the electric motorcycle fleet of a rapidly growing African group.
China’s 600MW/2400MWh project enters energisation phase following the installation of 240 battery containers, initiating initial maintenance of this ultra-high-voltage hybrid energy facility.
Wanhua Chemical has signed a strategic agreement with Serbian manufacturer ElevenEs to establish a localised supply chain for LFP battery materials, reinforcing their technical and industrial cooperation in the European market.
The partnership targets the development, construction and operation of over 500 MW of battery energy storage systems in France, with 200 MW nearing the construction phase.
Envision Energy and SUN Terra join forces to build a full energy storage value chain in Southeast Asia, India and Australia, including local manufacturing and technology licensing.
EDF Renouvelables has started building its first large-scale energy storage battery in Poland, a 50 MW project set to be operational by late 2025 in the Opole region.
Enfinity Global has sold a 49% minority stake in two energy storage projects in the US and Italy to Daiwa Energy & Infrastructure, a major player in alternative investments.
Sigenergy deployed a 20 MWh modular energy storage system on a solar power plant in Bulgaria, demonstrating a targeted industrial investment in high-efficiency storage technologies.
Chinese lithium-ion battery maker CBAK Energy received a new $3mn order from India’s Livguard, bringing the total value of their agreements to $7.9mn.
US-based UNIGRID has received public funding to launch a sodium-ion battery production line in San Diego, aiming for industrial-scale volumes at the pilot phase.
The Norwegian group has been named preferred bidder for a 492 MWh storage project under South Africa’s public BESIPPPP programme.
The agreement signed in Seoul between REPT BATTERO and Hyosung Heavy Industries provides for the supply of 2.5GWh of energy storage systems aimed at strengthening their joint position in the global market.
Grenergy plans to invest €3.5bn ($3.79bn) to expand hybrid platforms and standalone batteries in Europe and Chile, targeting 18.8 GWh of storage capacity by the end of 2027.
OCI Energy, CPS Energy and LG Energy Solution Vertech signed a memorandum of understanding to develop a 480 MWh energy storage facility in San Antonio, aiming to strengthen Texas's ERCOT grid.
Chinese provider Sungrow has completed a 60MWh energy storage installation in Simo, less than 100 kilometres from the Arctic Circle, marking a strategic step for the stability of Finland’s power grid.
Chinese manufacturer HyperStrong has unveiled in Germany its new modular energy storage platform, HyperBlock M, designed to streamline installation, maintenance and performance at utility scale.
Clarios plans to invest up to $1bn in a new critical mineral processing plant to strengthen domestic US supply of antimony and other strategic elements.
Chinese manufacturer Gotion has completed the first pilot production line for its GEMSTONE all-solid-state battery, marking a technical milestone in the industrial development of this energy technology.
The Aurora project, under construction in Tarapacá, will include 1 GWh of batteries and a 220 MW solar plant, making it one of the largest hybrid systems in Latin America.