Analysis of the top 10 global power battery installed capacity in 2020

In 2020, the substantial growth of the global new energy vehicle market has affected the ranking of global power battery installed capacity.

Statistics from the " New Energy Vehicle Industry Chain Database" released by Gaogong Industry Research Institute (GGII) show that global sales of new energy vehicles in 2020 were approximately 3.19 million units, a year-on-year increase of 44%, and the installed capacity of power batteries was approximately 136.30GWh, a year-on-year increase of 18%.

The year-on-year growth in global new energy vehicle sales and installed power of power batteries shows that despite the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the global electrification process is still accelerating, driving the further development of the global new energy industry chain.

However, changes in the new energy vehicle markets in China and Europe in 2020 also had some impact on the global power battery installation situation, mainly reflected in the following aspects:

First, the growth rate of global installed capacity is higher than that of the Chinese market.

In 2020, the global installed capacity of power batteries was about 136.30GWh, an increase of 18% year-on-year. During the same period, China's installed capacity of power batteries was 62.85GWh, a slight increase of only 1% year-on-year. The main reason why the global installed capacity increased faster than that in China is that the sales of new energy vehicles in Europe exceeded that in China, driving further growth in the international battery market demand.

Second, Chinese battery companies have the largest global market share.

Among the top 10 companies in global power battery installation in 2020, Chinese battery companies occupied 6 seats, namely: CATL, BYD, AVIC Lithium Battery, Envision AESC, Gotion High-tech and EVE Energy, with a combined market share of 41.1%; the three Korean battery companies LG Energy, Samsung SDI and SKI had a combined market share of 31.7%; Panasonic's global market share was 20.2%.

Third, the global installed capacity rankings have changed, with AVIC Lithium Battery entering the top ten.

GGII data shows that the top 10 companies in terms of global power battery installed capacity in 2020 are CATL, LG Energy, Panasonic, BYD, Samsung SDI, SKI, AVIC Lithium Battery, Envision AESC, Guoxuan High-tech and EVE Energy.

Compared with 2019, CATL won the championship again for four consecutive years, BYD remained in fourth place, Envision AESC, Gotion High-tech and EVE Energy ranked eighth, ninth and tenth respectively, while AVIC Lithium's installed capacity soared into the top ten in the world, ranking seventh; LG Energy and SKI rose to second and sixth respectively, Samsung SDI remained fifth; Panasonic dropped to third.

Fourth, the concentration of the top 10 global installed capacity has further increased.

GGII data shows that in 2020, the total installed capacity of the top 10 companies in the world in terms of power battery installation was about 126.47GWh, accounting for 93% of the total installed capacity of global power batteries, a year-on-year increase of 4%. In 2019, the figures were 102.4GWh and 89%, respectively.

Overall, the TOP 10 ranking of global power battery installed capacity in 2020 shows a clear competitive landscape of China, Japan and South Korea.

Among them, Chinese battery companies occupy a major global market share but are mainly concentrated in China, and there is a lack of international supporting customers that urgently need to be filled; Korean batteries are developing rapidly and are eyeing the world, while Japanese batteries are slightly declining under the pressure from China and South Korea.

At present, the global electrification process is accelerating, and the rapid rise of the European new energy vehicle market has created a strong demand for power batteries. Battery companies in China, Japan, South Korea and Europe are currently accelerating the construction of their European battery factories to seize the international market. Europe may become a key factor affecting the future changes in the global power installation rankings.

In this regard, Gaogong Lithium Battery focused on sorting out the overall ranking of the top 10 companies in global power battery installed capacity in 2020:

CATL: Global Installation Capacity Wins Again

In 2020, CATL achieved a global installed capacity of 35.39 GWh of power batteries, accounting for 26.0% of the global market, ranking first in global power battery installed capacity for four consecutive years.

CATL's installed capacity growth is mainly due to its support for domestic OEMs such as NIO, Tesla, Xpeng, Yutong, Ideal, Great Wall, BAIC, WM Motor, GAC, and Geely. It also supports joint venture brands such as Beijing Benz, BMW Brilliance, SAIC Volkswagen, GAC Toyota, Beijing Hyundai, and SAIC GM.

At present, CATL is strengthening the installation support for its international OEM customers and accelerating the construction of European battery factories. In the future, international customers will become an important pillar for the further growth of CATL's global power battery installations.

LG Energy: Advances to No. 2

In 2020, LG Energy achieved a global installed capacity of 30.91 GWh of power batteries, accounting for 22.7% of the global market, replacing Panasonic and ranking second.

As a power battery supplier for more than a dozen international automakers including Hyundai, Tesla, Volkswagen, GM, Audi, Porsche, and Jaguar, LG Energy achieved a significant increase in installed capacity in 2020 driven by the surge in sales of electric vehicles in Europe.

It is worth noting that behind the continuous growth of installed power, LG Energy is also facing multiple pressures and challenges. A series of large-scale electric vehicle recalls caused by battery safety issues may have many negative impacts on LG Energy's power battery business in 2021, and may even affect the global power battery market competition landscape.

Panasonic: Squeezed from both ends

In 2020, Panasonic achieved a global installed capacity of 27.51GWh of power batteries, accounting for 20.2% of the global market, and its global ranking dropped to third.

Panasonic's main customer is still Tesla, but the latter has gradually introduced two new suppliers, LG Energy and CATL, resulting in a decline in its global installed capacity.

Under this circumstance, Panasonic is also exploring other customers and reaching cooperation with Toyota, but the pace of market development is relatively slow.

BYD: Same ranking as last year

BYD's global installed capacity in 2020 was 9.01 GWh, accounting for 6.6% of the global market. Its global ranking remained the same as last year, ranking fourth.

BYD mainly equips all its models with batteries, but its new energy vehicle sales fell by 17.35% throughout the year, resulting in a 16.49% year-on-year drop in its power battery installations.

However, BYD's battery external supply process has accelerated, and it has already supplied batteries to major manufacturers such as Changan Automobile, Jinkang Automobile, Beijing Auto and Changan Ford.

Samsung SDI: installed capacity increased nearly 100% year-on-year

Samsung SDI's global installed capacity in 2020 was 7.84 GWh, a year-on-year increase of 95%. Its global market share was 5.8%, ranking fifth in the world.

Samsung SDI's main customers are BMW, Volkswagen and Ford. It is currently expanding the production capacity of its battery factory in Hungary to strengthen its battery delivery capabilities to European customers and increase its international market share.

SKI: Installations increased by 184% year-on-year

SKI's global installed capacity in 2020 was 4.34GWh, a year-on-year increase of 184%. Its global market share was 3.2%, and its global ranking rose from 10th to 6th.

SKI currently mainly provides supporting installation for OEMs such as Kia, Hyundai, and Volkswagen, and is currently accelerating the construction of battery factories in China, the United States, Europe and other places.

It is worth noting that although SKI's power battery business grew significantly in 2020, it is still in a loss-making state and faces great financial pressure. At the same time, it was ruled by the US ITC to lose the patent lawsuit against LG Energy in the United States. The ITC prohibits SKI from selling batteries, modules, battery packs and related components in the United States for the next 10 years, which may have a fatal blow to its power battery business.

AVIC Lithium Battery: The biggest "dark horse"

AVIC Lithium Battery emerged as a dark horse in 2020, achieving a significant increase in installed power capacity of power batteries, and advancing into the top ten in the global installed capacity rankings, ranking 7th.

AVIC Lithium Battery achieved an installed capacity of 3.82 GWh in the whole year, a year-on-year increase of 156%, accounting for 2.8% of the global market. In China, AVIC Lithium Battery has a market share of 6.08%, ranking fourth.

From 2018 to 2020, AVIC Lithium Battery ranked 9th, 6th and 4th in domestic installed capacity respectively, and its installed capacity ranking continued to rise. In 2021, it is expected to achieve further growth in installed capacity based on the release of supporting customers and new production capacity.

Vision AESC: Ready to go

After being acquired by Envision Group, Nissan's power battery company AESC was renamed Envision AESC. In 2020, its global power battery installed capacity was 3.38 GWh, accounting for 2.5% of the global market, ranking 8th.

In 2020, Envision AESC's global installed capacity and ranking showed a slight decline year-on-year. Currently, it is still mainly supplying Nissan, while also developing other customers and expanding its power battery production capacity.

Guoxuan High-tech: Passenger car installations have grown significantly

In 2020, Gotion High-tech achieved a global installed capacity of 3.24 GWh, with a global market share of 2.4%, ranking 9th; its domestic market share was 5.15%, ranking 5th.