Home >> News >> Industry News
The recently concluded 18th Shenzhen International Battery Technology Exhibition presented a comprehensive panorama of global innovation across the entire battery industry chain. From cutting-edge materials R&D, smart cell manufacturing, and high-end equipment upgrades, to efficient energy storage systems and green recycling, every link showcased the industry's latest breakthroughs. According to Wang Zeshen, Secretary-General of the China Industrial Association of Power Sources, in 2025, China's battery industry delivered a commendable performance, driven by dual breakthroughs in scale and efficiency: lithium-ion battery shipments exceeded 1.8 TWh, accounting for 82.8% of the global total; new energy vehicle sales reached 16.49 million units, a year-on-year increase of 28.2%, maintaining the global top spot for 11 consecutive years; and cumulative installed capacity for new energy storage surpassed 136 gigawatts, firmly ranking first globally.
China's new battery industry has not only "grown bigger," but is also progressing towards "becoming stronger." Wang Shijiang stated that in recent years, through the collective efforts of all industry stakeholders, China's new battery industry has achieved positive progress, providing global enterprises and consumers with green, high-quality living experiences and making significant contributions to global climate response and green transformation.
First, the industry has seen rapid growth in scale. In the first quarter of 2026, China's lithium battery production reached approximately 510 GWh, a year-on-year increase of over 50%. Among this, production of energy storage lithium batteries was 185 GWh, up over 110% year-on-year. Exports continued their rapid growth, with the export value of lithium batteries reaching $23.95 billion USD, a year-on-year increase of 54.7%.
Second, the level of technology is continuously improving. Greater efforts are being focused on key areas such as high safety, long cycle life, novel battery structures, and high-efficiency system integration. The energy density of liquid lithium-ion battery cells and the cycle life of energy storage lithium batteries are both world-leading, and positive progress has been made in the R&D of all-solid-state batteries.
Third, application areas are being expanded at an accelerating pace. New batteries are being widely used in mobile smart terminals, new energy storage, transportation equipment, deep-sea and deep-space applications, driving the development of new scenarios, new business models, and new paradigms.
The industry has long considered lithium iron manganese phosphate (LMFP) the optimal solution in this material range due to its higher energy density than lithium iron phosphate (LFP) and lower cost than ternary batteries. However, for a long time, the industry was unable to industrialize LMFP. Currently, R&D on solid-liquid batteries is still primarily based on existing material systems, aiming to further enhance battery safety or energy density. While all-solid-state batteries remain trapped in laboratories and capital bubbles, leading battery companies have keenly identified the significant market potential of solid-liquid hybrid batteries for numerous emerging applications such as new energy vehicles, embodied intelligence, and low-altitude aircraft (eVTOLs).
In fact, all-solid-state batteries still face a range of challenges that need to be overcome, from materials to processing equipment and ultimately cost. However, solid-liquid batteries have already proven viable in terms of technology, cost, and mass production. Moreover, they outperform existing liquid lithium batteries in safety, energy density, cycle life, and rate capability, making them highly suitable for high-end electric vehicles, robotics, eVTOLs, and other scenarios. Consequently, they are considered a mainstream technology direction. Wang Zeshen emphasized that standing at the critical juncture of the 15th Five-Year Plan, China's new battery industry is at a pivotal point, transitioning from "scale expansion" towards "value enhancement."
First, using innovation as the anchor, the industry must shift from "price wars" to "value wars." It is crucial to recognize that relying solely on capacity expansion is unsustainable. Resources must be effectively invested in disruptive technologies, with solid-state batteries as a prime example, to extract value from high-value-added areas. Only by making technological innovation the core source of profit can the industry truly escape the trap of "involution."
Second, using green standards as a passport, the industry must proactively align with international standards and rules. Globalization is not an "option" but a "necessity." Facing global carbon barriers, the industry must undergo a profound shift in mindset—from "selling products" to "selling trust," from scale expansion to quality leadership, and from closed supply chains to full-chain transparency. The goal is to ensure every Chinese battery carries a traceable, internationally recognized green identity.
Third, using synergy as the ecosystem, the industry must build a new landscape of mutual prosperity across the entire industrial chain. The new battery industry has a long, highly interconnected value chain. Promoting the establishment of industry self-discipline agreements to guide rational market distribution is essential. Concurrently, efforts should accelerate the construction of a green, low-carbon, circular battery recycling system, truly realizing the transition from "mineral dependency" to "urban mining."