China’s leading battery industry event, the China International Battery Fair (CIBF 2026), took place May 13–15 at the Shenzhen World Exhibition & Convention Centre, covering more than 280,000 square meters and drawing over 350,000 professional visitors. While major battery cell manufacturers such as CATL and BYD maintained prominent displays, the strongest momentum emerged from equipment suppliers, electrolyte specialists, and mid-tier battery firms promoting manufacturing tools, compliance-ready production lines, and large-scale commercialization plans.
Industry discussions at CIBF shifted away from the aggressive price competition that dominated 2025, focusing instead on production scaling, delivery schedules, certification requirements, and manufacturing standardization for export markets. More than 200 companies across the solid-state battery supply chain showcased dry-room systems, glovebox setups, dispersing equipment, and dry-electrode processing machinery tailored for sulfide and halide electrolyte production lines. This equipment push coincides with multiple firms advancing toward 400 Wh/kg-class semi-solid and solid-liquid battery architectures. Gotion High-Tech presented a 161 kWh battery pack, while others displayed 400 Wh/kg sample cells aimed at robotics, low-altitude aircraft, and specialized mobility applications.
Electrolyte suppliers demonstrated parallel development routes across oxide, sulfide, and halide systems, rather than converging on a single dominant chemistry. Startup Pure Lithium New Energy attracted attention with a solid-state battery that continued operating after a cut test and announced plans to reach 500 MWh of production capacity.
Energy storage systems also featured prominently, with the industry coalescing around 587 Ah and 588 Ah large-format cells. Several suppliers reported scaled deliveries or planned deployments of these formats in 2026, and BYD expanded its deliveries of 2,710 Ah Blade cells for utility-scale grid projects. Mid-tier firms highlighted alternative designs, including all-tabs cylindrical cells and lithium-rich manganese variants.
Sodium-ion companies adopted a restrained commercial approach, targeting two-wheelers, starter-lighting-ignition systems, and small-scale energy applications with densities above 100 Wh/kg. Carbon nanotube suppliers likewise expanded amid continued interest in ultra-fast charging.
According to April 2026 installation data, the top battery suppliers by volume installed in Chinese electric vehicles were led by CATL, followed by BYD, with several other domestic firms rounding out the top ten. Overall, CIBF 2026 underscored a transition from EV hype to manufacturing dominance, as Chinese suppliers commercialize the production infrastructure needed to scale advanced battery technologies.
Source: CarNewsChina
