China EV Battery Market July 2026: CATL Leads as BYD Gains

CATL Maintains Leadership as BYD Gains Ground

China EV battery market July 2026 remained highly concentrated, with CATL retaining the leading position despite lower monthly installations and a modest decline in share. Domestic power battery installations reached 74.6 GWh, increasing 33.5% year on year but falling 2.5% from June after four consecutive months of sequential growth. CATL installed 31.40 GWh for a 42.33% share, while BYD installed 14.26 GWh for 19.23%. The data, released by the China Automotive Battery Innovation Alliance (CABIA), show a competitive market in which the leader remains dominant but the second-largest supplier continues to narrow the gap.

CATL Monthly Performance

CATL's July performance represented a smaller sequential setback than the decline recorded in June. Its 42.33% share was 0.37 percentage points below June's 42.70%, while installations decreased from 32.59 GWh to 31.40 GWh, a decline of about 3.7%. The June share had fallen 3.43 percentage points, making July's movement comparatively moderate. Even with the reduction, CATL remained well ahead of every other supplier in China's domestic power battery market. Its position also reflects the scale of monthly fluctuations visible across the market, where total installations can rise or fall while individual manufacturers experience different changes in demand and share.

BYD Continues to Narrow the Market Gap

BYD moved in the opposite direction, increasing July installations by about 1.1% from 14.11 GWh in June to 14.26 GWh. Its market share rose 0.74 percentage points to 19.23%, reducing the gap with CATL to 23.10 percentage points. The gap had been 24.21 percentage points in June, so the difference contracted by 1.11 percentage points for a second consecutive month. CATL and BYD together accounted for 61.56% of China's power battery market in July, compared with 61.19% in June, indicating that the combined position of the two largest suppliers strengthened slightly even as the overall market declined month on month.

Leading Battery Manufacturers in July 2026

The next three positions were held by CALB, Gotion High-tech and Eve Energy. CALB installed 5.16 GWh and captured 6.95%, up 0.14 percentage points from June. Gotion High-tech installed 4.66 GWh and held 6.29%, down 0.21 percentage points. Eve Energy installed 4.49 GWh and reached 6.05%, gaining 0.22 percentage points. Together, the five largest battery makers represented 80.85% of China's market in July, compared with 80.34% in June. Sunwoda ranked seventh with 2.66 GWh and 3.59%, gaining 0.80 percentage points, the largest share increase among the top 15 suppliers.

China EV Battery Market Share by Manufacturer, July 2026

CATL and BYD Installation Trends

CATL's monthly data show a substantial change in installation levels across the first seven months of 2026. Installations reached 20.91 GWh in January, fell to 12.90 GWh in February, and then recovered to 25.71 GWh in March. The company recorded 29.06 GWh in April and 33.08 GWh in May before declining to 32.59 GWh in June and 31.40 GWh in July. Its market share followed a similar but not identical path, reaching 49.79% in January and 49.10% in February before declining through March and April, then falling from 46.14% in May to 42.70% in June and 42.33% in July.

CATL Monthly EV Battery Installations and Market Share in China

BYD Monthly Installation and Share Development

BYD's longer-term monthly figures show a different trajectory from CATL, with market share reaching 26.79% in March 2024 before moving through a lower range during much of 2025 and early 2026. Installations were 17.49 GWh in December 2024 and 19.04 GWh in November 2025, while the company's monthly share reached 21.29% in October 2025. In 2026, BYD recorded 7.32 GWh in January, 3.56 GWh in February, 10.06 GWh in March, 10.49 GWh in April, 11.87 GWh in May, 14.11 GWh in June and 14.26 GWh in July. Its July share of 19.23% was the highest recorded since December 2025.

BYD Monthly EV Battery Installations and Market Share in China

Ternary Battery Market Shows Further Contraction

China's ternary battery market weakened further in July, with installations totaling 11.1 GWh, down 12.6% from June. Ternary batteries represented only 14.9% of the overall domestic power battery market, marking a record-low share. CATL remained overwhelmingly dominant in this chemistry, installing 8.43 GWh and raising its market share to 75.81%, up 3.25 percentage points from June. However, CATL's own ternary installations fell about 8.2% from 9.18 GWh in June. The increase in market share therefore resulted from the broader ternary market contracting faster than CATL's installations.

Leading Ternary Battery Manufacturers

Svolt Energy ranked second in China's ternary battery market with 0.78 GWh and a 7.04% share, although its share declined 1.23 percentage points from June. LG Energy Solution slipped to third with 0.73 GWh and 6.55%, after its share dropped 4.98 percentage points, the largest decline in the ternary segment. Its installations were approximately half the 1.46 GWh recorded in June, and all of its Chinese battery installations continued to use ternary chemistry. Sunwoda ranked fourth with 0.56 GWh and a 5.01% share, gaining 1.70 percentage points, while CALB ranked fifth with 0.45 GWh.

China Ternary Battery Market Share by Manufacturer, July 2026

LFP Batteries Reach Record Market Share

Lithium iron phosphate batteries strengthened their position further in July, with LFP installations totaling 63.1 GWh and representing a record 84.6% of China's overall domestic power battery market. This marked the second consecutive month in which LFP technology reached a new high in market share. CATL remained the leading LFP supplier, installing 22.97 GWh for a 36.43% share, although its share declined 0.34 percentage points from June. The strong LFP concentration highlights the growing dominance of this chemistry within China's power battery mix and contrasts sharply with the continuing contraction of ternary batteries.

CATL and BYD Competition in LFP Batteries

BYD accounted for 22.62% of the LFP market with 14.26 GWh of installations, gaining 0.46 percentage points from June. All of BYD's battery installations in China continued to be LFP batteries. The market-share gap between CATL and BYD narrowed to 13.81 percentage points from 14.61 percentage points in June. CALB ranked third with 4.71 GWh and a 7.47% share, overtaking Gotion High-tech, which moved to fourth with 4.63 GWh and 7.35%. Eve Energy ranked fifth with 4.48 GWh and 7.10%, while Rept Battero Energy held 4.61% of the LFP segment.

China LFP Battery Market Share by Manufacturer, July 2026

Market Concentration and Technology Mix

The July figures point to two simultaneous developments in China's power battery industry. First, the overall market remains strongly concentrated among a small group of suppliers, with CATL and BYD alone controlling 61.56% and the top five manufacturers accounting for 80.85%. Second, the chemistry mix continues to move decisively toward LFP batteries. LFP installations reached 63.1 GWh and an 84.6% share, while ternary installations fell to 11.1 GWh and only 14.9% of the market. The data therefore show both supplier concentration and a significant shift in the underlying technology composition of domestic power battery installations.

Competitive Positioning

CATL continued to hold a commanding position across the overall market and the ternary segment, while BYD strengthened its position in both the overall and LFP markets. CATL's overall share declined from 42.70% to 42.33%, whereas BYD's increased from 18.49% to 19.23%. In LFP batteries, CATL's lead over BYD narrowed to 13.81 percentage points. The movement suggests that competition between the two largest suppliers is becoming more pronounced even though CATL maintains a substantial lead. At the same time, CALB, Gotion High-tech, Eve Energy and Sunwoda continue to compete for meaningful positions across the broader market and individual battery chemistries.

Frequently Asked Questions

What was CATL's market share in July 2026?
CATL held a 42.33% share of China's domestic power battery market in July 2026, supported by 31.40 GWh of installations despite a sequential decline in both installations and market share. Its July share fell 0.37 percentage points from June's 42.70%, while installations declined about 3.7% from 32.59 GWh. CATL nevertheless remained the clear market leader, ahead of BYD at 19.23%. CATL and BYD together accounted for 61.56% of the overall market, while CATL separately maintained a dominant 75.81% share of China's ternary battery segment.

How strong was LFP battery adoption in July 2026?
LFP batteries accounted for a record 84.6% of China's domestic power battery installations in July 2026, with total LFP installations reaching 63.1 GWh. This represented the second consecutive month in which LFP technology established a new high in market share. CATL led the LFP segment with 36.43%, followed by BYD at 22.62%. By comparison, ternary battery installations totaled 11.1 GWh and represented only 14.9% of the overall market, highlighting the widening difference between the two major battery chemistries in China's domestic power battery market.