Highlights
- Chinese battery manufacturers first surpass South Korean companies in overseas power battery market share, reaching 38.6% in January 2025.
- CATL maintains top position with 8GWh installation volume.
- Gotion High-tech makes its first entry into the top 10 global installations.
- South Korean firms see market share drop to 37.9%.
- Samsung SDI experiences a 23.5% year-over-year decline in global installations.
Chinese battery manufacturers have overtaken their South Korean competitors in overseas power battery market share for the first time, according to new data from SNE Research (opens in a new tab). In January 2025, global power battery installations (excluding China) reached 28GWh, a 26.5% year-over-year (YoY) increase, with Chinese companies claiming a 38.6% market share. Leading the charge is CATL, maintaining its top position with an 8GWh installation volume, up 40.4% YoY, followed by BYD, CALB, and Gotion High-tech, the latter making its first entry into the top 10. Meanwhile, South Korean firms saw their collective market share drop to 37.9%, with Samsung SDI experiencing a sharp 23.5% YoY decline, largely due to weakening demand in North America and Europe.
This shift underscores China’s increasing dominance in the global power battery supply chain, expanding beyond domestic markets and eroding South Korea’s foothold in international electric vehicle (EV) production,n reports Shanghai Metals Market (opens in a new tab).
In January 2025, among the Top 10 companies, the top 7 positions and the 10th position remained consistent with 2024 rankings. PPES saw fluctuations in its ranking, settling at 8th place this month, while Chinese company Gotion High-tech claimed the 9th position. Notably, this marks the first time Gotion High-tech entered the TOP10 for overseas power battery installations.
While Japanese firms like Panasonic struggled to maintain their positions, and Tesla continued its rapid rise with 918.4% YoY growth, the real story is China’s strategic push into the overseas market. Gotion High-tech’s strong debut at 9th place signals China’s deepening presence beyond the top two players (CATL and BYD), reinforcing the nation’s vertical integration across the EV battery ecosystem. South Korean firms are now scrambling to adapt, with Samsung SDI announcing a $10 billion investment in U.S. and European factories to regain lost ground.
With global power battery installations expected to rise, China’s aggressive scaling of production and supply chain control—combined with its ability to undercut competitors on price and secure strategic raw materials—suggests its lead will only widen. For South Korea and Japan, the challenge seems to be clearly unfolding. Without rapid technological advancements, expanded capacity, and stronger supply chain security, they risk permanent displacement in a market increasingly shaped by Beijing’s industrial policies and production powerhouses.
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