Worldwide electrolyte loading in registered electric vehicles, plug-in hybrids and hybrids reached approximately 1,267K tons from January through September 2026, up 23.1% from 1,029K tons in the same period last year. The market excluding China increased 36.1% to about 455K tons, outpacing overall growth by 13.0 percentage points. Its share of global loading rose 3.4 percentage points, from 32.5% to 35.9%.
Electrolytes provide the pathway for lithium ions between a battery’s cathode and anode and consist of salts, solvents and additives. Their formulations influence charging speed, power, low-temperature performance, lifespan and safety. Customer-specific formulations and additive designs are becoming increasingly important as high-voltage and fast-charging cells become more common.
Tinci retained first place among suppliers with approximately 289K tons, an increase of 19.6%. Capchem ranked second with about 202K tons, up 25.2%, while BYD’s loading declined 4.6% to approximately 148K tons. Smoothway, F&let, Kunlunchem and GTHR recorded growth of 78.5%, 61.4%, 48.1% and 19.8%, respectively. Enchem remained flat year over year at about 43K tons, while Central Glass grew 9.7% and overtook Mitsubishi for ninth place.
Global EV Electrolyte Loading Rises 23.1% to 1,267K Tons
Worldwide loading rose as battery installations and LFP spread, while faster ex-China growth lifted Europe and Asia’s demand share.
China stayed above 87% for four consecutive quarters; Japan fell 0.5%p from 5.1% to 4.6%.
Chinese companies accounted for 89.3% of the market in the third quarter of 2026, up from 86.4% in the same quarter last year. Korean companies’ share declined from 8.5% to 6.0%, while Japanese companies’ share fell from 5.1% to 4.6%. The Chinese share has remained above 87% for four consecutive quarters.
Market growth was supported by higher EV battery installations, broader adoption of lithium iron phosphate batteries and increasing battery capacity per vehicle. More recently, weaker prices for materials including LiPF6 and vinylene carbonate contributed to lower electrolyte prices. Cost-sharing negotiations are also underway ahead of China’s battery consumption tax for the domestic market and the abolition of the value-added tax rebate on battery exports next January. Future supplier positions are expected to depend on regional production, procurement stability and high-performance electrolyte supply for energy storage systems.
Source: sneresearch.com
