Lithium-ion Battery Production and Capacity Expansion, Forecasts to 2025

Installed Production Capacity of Top 10 Suppliers to Expand from 150 GWh in 2018 to about 740 GWh by 2025, at a CAGR of 25.58%

The automotive industry is evolving rapidly in terms of technology as well as tackling environmental issues. Electric vehicles (EVs) have been introduced as a clean energy initiative as they have low or zero emissions and have come a long way to become an integral part of OEMs’ business strategies. Automakers like PSA and Volkswagen (VW) are creating separate EV business units to prepare for the expected EV boom in the future. However, the surge in EV demand will create the need for a huge supply of lithium ion batteries, charging infrastructure etc.

Asian manufacturers lead the production of lithium ion batteries for the EV industry by a distance. Major suppliers like CATL, BYD, LG Chem, Samsung and SK Innovation have already ramped up production capacities and have huge targets for the coming years in terms of installed capacities. They have also entered into partnerships or signed supply contracts with almost all EV manufacturers in the world. The increase in their production capacities is due to the huge EV sales targets set by major automakers for the coming future in order to comply with stringent emission standards. Europe is turning out to be the most attractive destination as it is already home to many EV manufacturers. CATL has announced plans to expand the battery production capacity at its Germany plant to 100 GWh by 2025, which will make it the largest plant by then.

NCM is the most desired battery chemistry and is expected to continue dominating, with NCM 8:1:1 set to come out in 2019. Reducing cobalt content has been identified as an effective means to lower the production cost of lithium ion batteries. This has given rise to the NCM 811 battery and is expected to lead to the NCM 9.5.5 as well. OEMs will concentrate on suppliers who can meet their aggressive sales targets. Every OEM is expected to have more than one LiB supplier and will use cobalt-free, high-density batteries.

The study gives us a detailed analysis of the current and future production and plant capacity expansion trends in the lithium ion battery market and technology space. It can also be used to gain insights into battery manufacturer strategies in establishing a profitable supply chain and to track the various automotive trends and their impact on the lithium ion battery market.

Key Issues Addressed

• What are the current production hotspots? Will there be a shift in market focus from Asia to Europe?
• How is the battery technology going to evolve during the forecast period?
• Will there be a supply-demand shortage in the future?
• Which battery manufacturers are currently leading the race and which ones will lead in the future?
• Which region is currently the most attractive for battery manufacturers and why?