According to data released by the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA), Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Limited (CATL) captured a 50.1% share of China’s domestic electric-vehicle battery production in the first quarter of 2026, marking the first time the company has exceeded the 50% threshold in five years. The CPCA reported that total EV battery manufacturing in China reached 310 gigawatt-hours in January and February, a 22% increase from the same period in 2025. However, the ratio of produced to installed battery packs fell to a historical low of 19%.
In February alone, approximately 370,000 batteries were installed on new-energy vehicles, including battery electric vehicles, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, and extended-range electric vehicles. Of these, installations on pure battery electric models accounted for about 236,000 units (down 41% year-over-year), while plug-in hybrids totaled 100,000 units (down 61%), and electric trucks reached 27,000 units. The decline in installations is attributed to a temporary reduction in consumer demand as government subsidies are gradually phased out.
Energy-density trends also shifted in the first quarter. Batteries with an energy density above 160 Wh/kg made up 15% of installations, while packs below 125 Wh/kg dropped to zero. The majority of battery electric vehicles were equipped with cells in the 125–160 Wh/kg range.
Within specific chemistries, CATL’s share of ternary nickel-manganese-cobalt (NMC) batteries surged to 81.6%, driven in part by rival BYD’s transition to lithium-iron phosphate (LFP) chemistry. CATL also posted a 41% share in the LFP segment, its strongest result in four years. BYD’s overall share of the Chinese battery market declined to 17.5%, its lowest in five years, though it maintained a 22.6% share of the LFP category.
Other Chinese battery suppliers trailed behind, with Gotion at 6.1% of the total market, followed by CALB (5.3%), EVE (5%), Rept Battero (3.1%), Sunwoda (2.8%), SVOLT (2.5%), Zenergy (2.1%), and Zhejiang Yaoning (1.8%).
Looking ahead, competition among battery makers is expected to shift toward emerging segments such as sodium-ion and solid-state batteries. China is set to issue a solid-state battery standard in July 2026, and BYD has indicated plans to begin volume production of sodium-ion batteries in 2027.
Source: CarNewsChina (https://carnewschina.com/2026/03/25/catls-domestic-ev-battery-share-reaches-50-1-in-q1-2026/)
