Power Shift in Overseas Battery Market: Chinese Quintet's Share Surpasses Korean Trio for the First Time, Driven by Tech & Cost Advantages

Insights
Power Shift in Overseas Battery Market: Chinese Quintet's Share Surpasses Korean Trio for the First Time, Driven by Tech & Cost Advantages

Core Data/Events

  • Market Share Reversal: From Jan-Oct 2025, the combined overseas market share (ex-China) of the five Chinese battery firms (CATL, BYD, Gotion High-tech, Farasis Energy, SVOLT) reached 43.1%, surpassing the Korean trio’s (LGES, SK On, Samsung SDI) 37.5% for the first time, signaling a structural shift in market dominance.

  • Chinese firms show explosive growth overseas: SVOLT’s installations surged 362.5% YoY, and BYD grew 141.2%. In stark contrast, Samsung SDI was the only top 10 player to decline (-4.6%), highlighting polarized competitive pressures.

  • CATL strengthened its absolute lead with overseas share rising to 29.2%. Meanwhile, Gotion High-tech and SVOLT entered the global (ex-China) top 10, replacing PPES and CALB, indicating fierce competition within the second tier.

In-Depth Analysis

  • Leveraging China’s massive and efficient supply chain, Chinese batteries maintain significant cost competitiveness overseas, a key factor for OEMs, especially in mid-range and economy EV segments.

  • Chinese firms are faster in deploying technologies like LFP, Kirin battery, and short-blade battery, aligning well with rising overseas demand for safety and cost-efficiency. For instance, BYD’s external supply of LFP cells is crucial to its overseas surge.

  • The rise of Chinese second-tier players (e.g., SVOLT, Gotion) demonstrates that the path of “differentiated tech + anchoring key clients” works for overseas breakthroughs. Meanwhile, Tesla’s own battery growth (24.1%) lags behind the industry average, indicating its continued reliance on external procurement and a window of opportunity for other suppliers.

Industry Insights

  • OEMs’ battery procurement will become more “hybrid and diversified”. To balance cost, technology, and supply chain security, using both Chinese and Korean batteries will become standard. The growth of Chinese share is less about “replacement” and more about “incremental penetration”. OEM supply chain managers must master the portfolio strategy.

  • The logic of global battery capacity investment is being rewritten. The pure GWh-scale race for EVs is outdated. New investments must evaluate “production flexibility” (multi-format, multi-application) and “regional market traits” (preference for low-cost LFP or high-performance NCM). Battery firms must become “flexible solution providers”.

EVBattery GlobalMarket Globalization CATL BYD SupplyChainCompetition NewEnergyTrends IndustryAnalysis

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