CATL and BYD maintained their leading positions in the global electric vehicle (EV) battery market during the first nine months of 2026, together accounting for more than half of worldwide battery installations, according to data released by South Korean market research firm SNE Research on Monday.
Global EV battery usage reached 994.5 GWh between January and September, representing a 19.7% increase from the same period in 2025. Monthly installations hit a record 145.1 GWh in September, although year-on-year growth slowed to 15.8%, below the cumulative market growth rate.
The figures cover battery installations in battery electric vehicles (BEVs), plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) and conventional hybrid vehicles.
CATL Extends Lead as BYD’s Market Share Declines
CATLretained its position as the world’s largest EV battery supplier, with installations reaching 389.2 GWh, up 24.9% year-on-year. Its market share increased to 39.1% from 37.5% a year earlier, although it was slightly below the 39.4% recorded for January-August.
BYD ranked second with 150.9 GWh of installations, representing 7.4% annual growth. Its market share declined to 15.2% from 16.9% in the corresponding period of 2025, but edged up from 15.1% in the first eight months of 2026.
Together, CATL and BYD accounted for 54.3% of global battery installations, compared with 54.4% a year earlier and 54.6% through August.
SNE Research attributed the widening growth gap between the two companies to their different supply structures. CATL continued expanding its customer base among overseas automakers, while BYD’s battery business remained more closely linked to demand for its own vehicles. Their year-on-year growth rates differed by 17.5 percentage points.
BYD’s weaker performance was primarily associated with its domestic market. The research firm said the company’s EV sales in China fell 32.9% year-on-year, while its battery installations in the country declined 7.1% to 104.9 GWh from 112.9 GWh.
Outside China, however, BYD’s battery installations increased 66.8% to 45.9 GWh from 27.5 GWh. Its overseas vehicle sales reached approximately 180,000 units in September, more than double the year-earlier level and accounting for nearly 40% of total sales.
LG Energy Solution Slips as Regional Performance Diverges
South Korea’s LG Energy Solution (LGES) remained in third place, with installations rising 0.7% year-on-year to 81.9 GWh. Its global market share fell to 8.2% from 9.8%.
The company continued supplying batteries to Tesla, General Motors, Hyundai Motor Group and Volkswagen, but its overall growth remained well below the global market rate.
Regional performance varied considerably. LGES installations in Europe increased 13.2% to 38.6 GWh, while those in Asia rose 49.4% to 11.1 GWh. North American installations, however, dropped 44.9% to 16.5 GWh from 29.9 GWh, offsetting much of the growth elsewhere.
Gotion and EVE Energy Advance in Rankings
China’s Gotion High-tech moved into fourth place with 50.3 GWh of installations, up 48.1% year-on-year. Its market share climbed to 5.1% from 4.1%.
Gotion narrowly surpassed CALB, which ranked fifth with 50.1 GWh, an increase of 27.1%. CALB’s share rose to 5.0% from 4.7%.
EVE Energy climbed to sixth place after installations increased 60.4% to 36.0 GWh. Its market share expanded to 3.6% from 2.7%, allowing it to overtake Japan’s Panasonic.
Panasonic ranked seventh with 35.6 GWh, down 0.8% year-on-year. Its market share declined to 3.6% from 4.3%. Most of its installations came from Tesla vehicles in North America, where the company’s battery supply volume slipped slightly to 34.9 GWh.
South Korea’s SK On ranked eighth, recording 28.3 GWh, a decline of 18.1% from a year earlier. This was the steepest contraction among the top 10 suppliers. Its market share fell to 2.8% from 4.2%, while North American installations dropped 46.7% to 7.6 GWh from 14.2 GWh.
China’s Svolt Energy took ninth place with 25.7 GWh, up 37.9% year-on-year, lifting its market share to 2.6% from 2.2%.
Rept Battero Energy completed the top 10 after installations surged 118.7% to 24.2 GWh. Its market share increased to 2.4% from 1.3%. The company remained ahead of China’s Sunwoda, which ranked 11th with 23.0 GWh.
Chinese Suppliers Strengthen Combined Market Position
The seven Chinese companies in the top 10 accounted for a combined 73.0% of global battery installations, up from 69.5% in the same period last year. Their share was slightly below the 73.3% recorded through August.
By comparison, the three South Korean suppliers in the top 10 held a combined market share of 12.6%, a decline of 4.1 percentage points year-on-year.
The figures underline the growing weight of Chinese battery manufacturers in the global supply landscape, supported by strong installation growth among several companies beyond the two largest suppliers.
China Leads in Volume as North America Contracts
China remained the largest regional market, with battery installations increasing 16.2% year-on-year to 567.8 GWh.
Europe recorded 33.1% growth, while Asian markets outside China expanded 74.1%. South America posted the fastest regional increase, with installations rising 176.8%.
North America moved in the opposite direction. Installations declined 24.3% year-on-year to 85.9 GWh, reflecting weaker regional demand and reduced contributions from several major suppliers.
LFP Gains Share as Battery Capacity per Vehicle Rises
The market also continued shifting toward lithium iron phosphate (LFP) chemistry. LFP batteries accounted for 57.7% of global installations in the first nine months of 2026, compared with 52.5% a year earlier.
Average battery capacity per vehicle increased 11.2% year-on-year to 39.7 kWh from 35.7 kWh. The rise in average pack size contributed to battery installation growth outpacing vehicle sales growth during the period.