China’s power battery installations surged in June to 76.5 gigawatt-hours (GWh), marking a 31.5% increase from the same month last year and a 6.4% rise versus May. The data, released by the China Automotive Battery Innovation Alliance, represents the strongest monthly year-on-year growth so far in 2026 and the fourth consecutive month of month-on-month gains. Combined exports of power and energy storage batteries also climbed sharply, totaling 36.2 GWh in June, up 48.7% year-on-year.
Lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries drove much of the expansion, with installations reaching 63.7 GWh—up 34.4% annually and 9.2% from May. This segment accounted for a record 83.3% of all power battery installations, reinforcing LFP’s position as the preferred lower-cost, safety-focused chemistry in the domestic electric vehicle market. In contrast, ternary batteries saw installations of 12.7 GWh, an 18.1% year-on-year increase but a 5.5% decline month-on-month, reducing their market share to 16.5% from 18.6% in May.
Through the first half of 2026, cumulative power battery installations reached 335.6 GWh, up 12.0% year-on-year—an acceleration from the 7.3% growth recorded through May. LFP batteries accounted for 272.0 GWh (81.0% share), rising 11.5%, while ternary batteries contributed 63.4 GWh (18.9% share), up 14.2%.
Production of both power and energy storage batteries outpaced domestic installations, with combined output hitting 206.0 GWh in June, up 59.5% year-on-year and 7.5% month-on-month. In the first half, production totaled 1,068.9 GWh, a 53.3% annual increase, underscoring growing export and energy storage demand beyond the domestic EV market.
Sales of power and energy storage batteries also rose, reaching 196.0 GWh in June—up 49.1% year-on-year. Power batteries comprised 133.4 GWh (68.1% share, up 41.8%), while energy storage batteries accounted for 62.6 GWh (31.9% share, up 67.5%). Exports rebounded strongly, with June shipments of 36.2 GWh—up 48.7% year-on-year and 23.7% month-on-month—accounting for 18.5% of total battery sales.
Despite robust growth, the faster pace of production versus installations highlights potential pressure on pricing and factory utilization as the industry seeks to balance supply with domestic and international demand. Source: CNEV Post
