CATL and BYD controlled 54.3% of global usage while LG Energy Solution, SK On and Samsung SDI lost share as LFP price competition and demand adjustments reshaped the market, SNE Research said.
Global EV battery usage across BEVs, PHEVs and HEVs rose 20.0% year over year to 608.5 GWh in January-June 2026, but the expansion increasingly favored Chinese suppliers over South Korea's top battery makers. CATL lifted usage 25.3% to 242.7 GWh and increased its market share to 39.9%, while BYD remained second at 87.7 GWh, though its share slipped to 14.4%, leaving the two companies with a combined 54.3% of the market. CALB, Gotion High-tech, EVE Energy, Svolt and Sunwoda also advanced, pushing the top seven Chinese companies to a 72.4% share and seven of the top 10 global positions. LG Energy Solution stayed third at 52.6 GWh but fell to an 8.6% share, SK On's usage dropped 6.7% to 19.0 GWh and its ranking fell to eighth, and Samsung SDI remained outside the top 10. SNE Research said lower-cost LFP (lithium iron phosphate) batteries, Europe's battery passports (digital supply-chain tracking records) and regional manufacturing execution are becoming decisive competitive factors. South Korea's battery makers are trying to cushion weak EV demand with ESS, UPS and BBU sales, but LG Energy Solution's second-quarter profit still included 241 billion won in Advanced Manufacturing Production Credits (AMPC, U.S. clean-energy manufacturing tax credits), underscoring the pressure on standalone battery profitability.