In 2019 there has been an installed capacity of 62.2 GWh of batteries in China according to the data from the China Automotive Battery Innovation Alliance. CATL was and is still leading the market in China, and was followed by manufacturer BYD (both EVs and batteries), and Guoxuan High-Tech.
Let us have a look at the distribution of the installed capacity by vehicle type and by chemistry.
| Type | LFP | NCM | Others | Total in GWh |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Passenger Car | 2.0 (4.8%) | 39.6 (93.8%) | 0.6 (1.4%) | 42.2 |
| Bus | 13.8 (94.7%) | 0.0 (0.0%) | 0.8 (5.3%) | 14.6 |
| Transport | 3.3 (79.9%) | 0.9 (20.3%) | 0.1 (1.8%) | 4.3 |
| Special vehicle | 1.1 (94.4%) | 0.0 (4.1%) | 0.0 (1.5%) | 1.1 |
| Total | 20.2 (32.5%) | 40.5 (65.1%) | 1.4 (2.3%) | 62.2 |
From the total of 62.2 GWh in 2019, about 65% relate to ternary lithium batteries (NCM). The percentage-share of NCM-batteries in passenger cars is very high, as these batteries have a higher energy density compared to LFP-batteries (Lithium iron phosphate). As a result, with limited space available for the battery pack in production passenger cars, many automakers still decide on NCM. However, in 2020 we have observed a slow shift with EV giants like Tesla starting to adopt LFP for their entry-level range vehicles. Furthermore, we have observed an enormous increase in battery density for LFP. In the transport segment, special vehicles and buses, LFP-chemistry is popular.
