Does China have a future for lithium-ion batteries?

(Photo taken from CATL homepage) OSAKA -- China is increasing its presence in the race to develop replacements for the lithium-ion battery, a Nikkei analysis shows. A country-by-country tally of patents related to post-lithium-ion batteries over the past 10 years shows China in the lead, accounting for more than half of all patents.

How many patents are there in China?

Patents China’s number of Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) patent publications in motor vehicle technologies increased from 25 in 2013 to 201 in 2023. (Seefigure 14.) That represents about a 700 percent increase over that period (albeit from a low base).

Which country makes the most EV batteries in the world?

Figure6: Leading EV battery manufacturers’ global market shares, 2023 As of 2022, China accounted for 62 percent of all EVs sold in the world, a tremendous increase from the 0.1 percent of global EV sales Chinese enterprises accounted for in 2012.

Who are China's leading EV battery manufacturers?

CATL accounts for 37 percent of the global EV battery market followed by FDB with 16 percent, giving China’s top two competitors alone over half the global market. (See figure 6.) The twain are followed by LG Energy and Panasonic, with 14 percent and 6 percent of the market, respectively.

What percentage of PCT Patents are owned by China?

When considering global shares of PCT patent publications in this field, China’s share increased from 2.4 percent in 2010 to 26.9 percent in 2020. (Seefigure 17.) That represents a 24.5 percentage point increase over that period. The United States also experienced an increase in its global share by about 6.5 percentage points.

Which EV battery companies dominate the global market?

Likewise, Chinese enterprises dominate in the global share of EV battery manufacturing. CATL accounts for 37 percent of the global EV battery market followed by FDB with 16 percent, giving China’s top two competitors alone over half the global market. (See figure 6.)