Global production of battery cells for electric vehicles rose 9.1% year-on-year to 244.6 gigawatt-hours (GWh) in the first quarter of 2026, although growth slowed sharply compared with the 31.7% increase recorded for full-year 2025, according to South Korean market research firm SNE Research.
The figures include battery cells used in battery-electric vehicles, plug-in hybrid vehicles and hybrid vehicles.
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SNE Research said South Korean manufacturers LG Energy Solution, SK On and Samsung SDI together accounted for 15.6% of the global market during the January-to-March period, down 2.1 percentage points from a year earlier.
Among the three companies, LG Energy Solution remained the largest South Korean supplier, with production increasing 6.6% to 23.7 GWh.
SK On and Samsung SDI both posted declines during the quarter. SK On’s production fell 10.4% to 9.0 GWh, while Samsung SDI recorded a 27.7% decline to 5.3 GWh.
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According to SNE Research, SK On was affected by the discontinuation of the Ford F-150 Lightning program using its battery cells, as well as the end of U.S. production of the Volkswagen ID.4.
Chinese battery maker CATL continued to strengthen its global position during the quarter. The company increased production by 15.2% to 99.5 GWh, supported by demand from Chinese electric vehicle brands including Nio and Zeekr.
SNE Research said Tesla reduced order volumes from CATL due to lower sales of the Tesla Model 3. At the same time, CATL expanded supplies to global automakers including Toyota, Kia and Skoda.
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BYD, the world’s second-largest battery producer, reported an 8.0% decline in production to 33.5 GWh during the quarter.
SNE Research attributed the decline mainly to weaker domestic vehicle sales for the BYD brand, although deliveries to external customers such as Xiaomi increased. The research firm also said order volumes from customers including Xpeng, Nio and BYD subsidiary Denza remained soft during the period.
SNE Research said the global battery market appears to be entering a structural transition phase as demand trends diverge across regions and automakers.
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The firm noted that battery demand has recently weakened in China and North America while improving in other Asian markets, Europe and several emerging economies, forcing battery manufacturers to adapt production and supply strategies accordingly.