French Media: China's Global Dominance in the Battery Sector
Le Monde points out that China holds an undisputed hegemony in the battery field.
China leads in the most critical value of electric vehicles—batteries. China's production accounts for about 70% of global output, with CATL alone accounting for 42%, making it the world's largest supplier since 2017.
China not only manufactures batteries but also controls key battery metals and chemical processes: approximately 70% of global lithium refining capacity, graphite production, and Chinese enterprises operate the world’s largest cobalt mine in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
China also dominates lower-cost, more durable lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries. According to Bloomberg New Energy Finance data, the price of Chinese LFP batteries dropped by 51% within one year by 2025.
The flagship Chinese battery company, CATL, is set to launch sodium-ion batteries—materials with a resource availability over a thousand times greater than lithium and at significantly lower cost; solid-state batteries are also expected to enter mass production by 2027. Meanwhile, the company has expanded its business into data centers, electric ships, and is deploying battery swap stations along the Yangtze River and the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal.
Source: rfi
Original: toutiao.com/article/1864030763879436/
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