English
French
German
Italian
Spanish
Portuguese
Dutch
中文Since the beginning of 2026, the lithium battery industry chain has sustained high-level growth. In April, production schedules continued to climb month-on-month, and most companies delivered strong Q1 earnings. Driven by improved supply-demand dynamics and accelerating technology iteration, the lithium battery sector is entering a new phase of synchronized demand growth and structural optimization.
1. April Production Continues to Rise — “Off-Season, Not Dull”
According to market research tracking the top 20 battery producers in China, total lithium battery production scheduling in April 2026 reached approximately 235 GWh, up 7.3% month-on-month, with energy storage cells accounting for 41.3% of the total. Data from Xindian Lithium shows that domestic sample enterprises scheduled 151.1 GWh of battery production in April, a 3.8% month-on-month increase, driving a broad uptick across midstream materials: cathode production reached 195,000 tonnes (+1.1%), anode 176,000 tonnes (+6.7%), separator 2.11 billion m² (+0.7%), and electrolyte 115,000 tonnes (+8.0%). Preliminary schedules for May project 218.8 GWh, representing year-on-year growth of 63% and month-on-month growth of 6%, signaling strong downstream demand.
2. Strong Q1 Earnings Across the Board, Energy Storage Shines as Top Growth Engine
The rising industry momentum is clearly reflected in corporate quarterly reports. CATL, the industry leader, reported Q1 2026 revenue of RMB 129.13 billion, up 52.45% year-on-year, with net profit attributable to shareholders reaching RMB 20.74 billion, up 48.52%. The company’s combined power and energy storage battery shipments exceeded 200 GWh in Q1, with the energy storage share rising noticeably to 25%. Additionally, Tianqi Lithium achieved Q1 net profit of RMB 1.876 billion, surging 1699.12% year-on-year; EVE Energy projected Q1 net profit growth of 25%–35%. According to GGII, China’s Q1 2026 energy storage lithium battery shipments totaled 215 GWh, up 139% year-on-year, firmly establishing energy storage as the fastest-growing subsegment in the lithium battery industry.
3. Policy Support Strengthens as “Anti-Cutthroat Competition” Campaign Advances
On April 9, four government departments — the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the National Development and Reform Commission, the State Administration for Market Regulation, and the National Energy Administration — jointly convened a symposium for power and energy storage battery enterprises. The meeting called for continued efforts in capacity warning and regulation, standardizing price competition, shortening supplier payment cycles, reinforcing product quality oversight, and cracking down on intellectual property infringement and “externalizing cutthroat competition”. The ongoing anti-cutthroat-competition drive on the supply side is expected to further improve the industry’s supply-demand balance.
4. Solid-State Battery Mass Production Accelerates, Technology Iteration Enters a New Phase
At the 2026 Beijing International Auto Show, which has just opened, solid-state batteries took center stage. CATL’s semi-solid-state Qilin Battery is scheduled for mass production in the second half of 2026, with all-solid-state batteries planned for small-batch production in 2027. BYD showcased a vehicle equipped with sulfide-based all-solid-state battery technology, achieving an energy density of 480 Wh/kg, with vehicle integration targeted for 2027. Multiple automakers including Chery, GAC, SAIC, and FAW have set their all-solid-state battery mass production milestones between 2026 and 2027. Meanwhile, sodium-ion batteries have also reached a pivotal commercialization milestone: on April 27, CATL and Hyperstrong signed a 3-year, 60 GWh sodium-ion battery strategic cooperation agreement — the single largest commercial contract of its kind globally to date — marking the official transition of sodium-ion battery technology from the verification stage into large-scale deployment.
5. Lithium Prices Rise Amid Supply Tightness; Export Compliance Enters Implementation Phase
As of April 24, domestic battery-grade lithium carbonate averaged RMB 173,100 per tonne, up 10.12% over the past two weeks. Frequent overseas mining disruptions — including Zimbabwe’s export restrictions, Australian diesel supply concerns, and permit renewals at domestic lithium mining sites in Yichun, Jiangxi — combined with sustained downstream demand, are likely to keep lithium prices elevated in the near term. On the regulatory front, the EU’s new Battery Regulation has entered full enforcement in 2026, with requirements on carbon footprint declarations, battery passports, and air transport state-of-charge limits now fully in effect. Compliance has become a critical gateway for Chinese lithium battery products entering the European market, and export-oriented enterprises should prepare proactively.
