China EV Battery Installations Hit 2026 High of 79 GWh in August, Up 26.3% Year-on-Year

• China's EV battery installations reached 79.0 GWh in August, up 5.9% from July, though year-on-year growth slowed.
• LFP batteries' share rose to a record 85.6%, while ternary battery installations declined for a third consecutive month.

China's EV battery installations hit a year-to-date high in August as lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries continued to gain market share, though overall year-on-year growth slowed.

Domestic EV battery installations totaled 79.0 GWh in August, up 26.3% year-on-year and 5.9% from July, according to data released Tuesday by the China Automotive Battery Innovation Alliance (CABIA).

August installations surpassed June's 76.5 GWh to reach their highest level this year, reversing July's month-on-month decline, according to data compiled by CnEVPost.

However, year-on-year growth slowed from July's 33.5%, ending a streak of 4 consecutive months of acceleration.

LFP batteries continued to drive growth. Installations reached 67.6 GWh in August, up 31.0% year-on-year and 7.0% month-on-month, accounting for 85.6% of the total.

That share increased from 84.6% in July, setting a record for a third consecutive month and further widening LFP's lead over ternary batteries.

Ternary battery installations totaled 11.0 GWh in August, up just 0.9% year-on-year but down 1.0% from July, marking a third consecutive monthly decline. Their share fell to a record low of 14.0%.

In the first 8 months of the year, domestic EV battery installations totaled 489.1 GWh, up 17.0% year-on-year, accelerating from 15.4% growth in the first 7 months.

LFP battery installations reached 402.7 GWh over the period, up 18.3% year-on-year and accounting for 82.3% of the total. Ternary battery installations totaled 85.6 GWh, up 10.6%, with a 17.5% share.

Alongside the recovery in domestic installations, production and sales of EV and energy storage batteries also rose, with energy storage battery sales growing significantly faster than EV battery sales.

Combined production of EV and energy storage batteries reached 237.0 GWh in August, up 69.8% year-on-year and 8.8% month-on-month. Output in the first 8 months totaled 1,523.9 GWh, up 57.0% year-on-year.

Combined sales of the 2 battery categories reached 223.1 GWh in August, up 65.9% year-on-year and 20.5% from July.

EV battery sales totaled 146.8 GWh, up 48.5% year-on-year. Energy storage battery sales reached 76.3 GWh, up 114.3%, accounting for 34.2% of total sales.

Export growth also accelerated. Combined exports of EV and energy storage batteries reached 42.4 GWh in August, up 87.5% year-on-year and 20.4% month-on-month, representing 19.0% of sales.

EV battery exports totaled 24.7 GWh, up 64.0% year-on-year and 3.1% from July. Energy storage battery exports reached 17.7 GWh, up 134.2% year-on-year and 57.2% month-on-month.

In the first 8 months of the year, combined exports of the 2 battery categories totaled 259.0 GWh, up 49.6% year-on-year. EV battery exports reached 171.4 GWh, while energy storage battery exports totaled 87.6 GWh.