Cell manufacturers
Who actually
made it
Two companies make more than half the traction batteries on earth, and neither of them is American or European.
At a glance
- CATL alone is 39.9 percent of global installations
- No maker headquartered in the United States or Europe appears in the global top ten at all
- Samsung SDI has fallen out of it, down 29.4 percent
- You usually cannot find out which of them made the cells in a specific used car
| # | Company | GWh | Share | Year on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CATL | 289.6 | 39.9% | +26.6% |
| 2 | BYD | 106.7 | 14.7% | +4.7% |
| 3 | LG Energy Solution | 60.3 | 8.3% | +4.5% |
| 4 | CALB | 37.3 | 5.1% | +34.3% |
| 5 | Gotion | 34.0 | 4.7% | +44.2% |
| 6 | Panasonic | 26.2 | 3.6% | +7.6% |
| 7 | EVE Energy | 25.0 | 3.5% | +53.1% |
| 8 | SK On | 22.3 | 3.1% | -9.8% |
| 9 | SVOLT | 18.9 | 2.6% | +39.1% |
| 10 | REPT Battero | 16.9 | 2.3% | +118.5% |
Three things the trade press drops
- It counts vehicle registrations, battery electric plus plug in hybrid plus hybrid, rather than cells shipped.
- Global includes China. The separate figure excluding China puts CATL at 34.0 percent, LG at 16.3 and Panasonic at 8.3, which is why Korean firms quote that one without always saying so.
- Electric vehicle share is not battery share. In stationary storage the ranking is different again, and two of the leaders there barely register here.
No manufacturer headquartered in the United States or Europe appears in the global top ten at all. Samsung SDI has fallen out of it.
The makers
- CATLIron phosphate at volume, nickel manganese cobalt, LMFP, and sodium ion now ramping
- BYDIron phosphate overwhelmingly. A sodium ion plant is under construction for micro vehicles
- LG Energy SolutionNickel cobalt manganese aluminium, and iron phosphate
- Panasonic EnergyHigh nickel, the NCA family
- SK OnHigh nickel NCM. Iron phosphate announced, not in mass production
- Samsung SDIHigh nickel NCM
- AESCNickel manganese cobalt
- Farasis EnergyNickel manganese cobalt, and now iron phosphate
- Gotion High-TechIron phosphate and high nickel NCM. A sodium ion product launched in 2026
- CALBIron phosphate and nickel manganese cobalt
- Tesla, in houseNickel based
Two pages worth reading before you shop
- Can you find out whose cells are in a specific used car. Usually not, and the honest answer is an informed guess.
- The battery companies that failed, and the fact almost nobody reports about them.
Questions people actually ask
Which company makes the most EV batteries
CATL, at 39.9 percent of global installations in the first seven months of 2026. BYD is second at 14.7 percent. Together they are more than half.
Are any EV battery cells made by an American company
No American headquartered maker appears in the global top ten. There is substantial American manufacturing, but it is owned by Korean, Japanese and Chinese firms, or by joint ventures with them.
Buying a Used EV or Hybrid?
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