Power battery asNew energy vehiclesIn the long journey of car companies to expand their territory in the market, the fierce game around it has never stopped. For a long time, both traditional car companies and new energy vehicle brands have made efforts to develop their own batteries in an attempt to seize the opportunity.
From the perspective of the current market of the power battery industry, in addition to the two giants of CATL and Fodi Battery, after the second-tier power batteries such as China Innovation Airlines, Guoxuan Hi-Tech, and EVE Lithium Energy, Ji ElectricNew energy, because Peng Battery and other battery companies under car companies have gradually begun to appear on the installed capacity rankings.
Not long ago, there was a new story about the self-developed batteries of car companies: Geely Automobile has announced the integration of its battery brand resources and is fully preparing for the launch of explosive battery cells; The media even broke the news that NIO will supply batteries for McLaren, which has aroused widespread attention and heated discussions in the industry.
Gasgoo understands that no matter what the results of self-developed batteries are, in order to make the battery system and the vehicle form closer synergy, car companies have never given up the research and development of the three-electric system. Today, in the face of the next generation of battery technology on the same starting line, various car companies are ready to go.
Self-developed batteries, the climate is gradually improving?
With the gradual increase in the penetration rate of the new energy vehicle market, the competition in the power battery market has become more and more fierce, which can be seen from the installed capacity ranking of various companies.
according toGasso Automotive Research InstituteIn the installed capacity ranking of power battery suppliers from January to April 2025, CATL ranked first with a market share of 41.6%, with an installed capacity of 58,872MWh. Fodi Battery ranked second with a market share of 27.1% and an installed capacity of 38,325MWh.
From the perspective of the entire industry, the current power battery market is highly centralized, and the top ten suppliers account for nearly 95% of the domestic market share, and the industry head effect is becoming more and more significant.
The leading edge of CATL and Fodi battery in terms of market share and installed capacity is inseparable from their respective unique core competitiveness. As a global leader in the field of power batteries, CATL’s technical reserves are withCapacityThe scale continues to lead the industry, building a supply chain system covering mainstream car companies, and its market position is difficult to shake; Relying on the vertical integration advantages of its parent company BYD, Fodi Battery has formed technical barriers in the field of lithium iron phosphate batteries, deeply bound to a number of independent brand car companies, and has a stable market performance.
According to the Gasgoo Automotive Research InstituteforecastThe high concentration of TOP10 suppliers not only reflects the technical barriers and capital-intensive characteristics of the power battery industry, but also further gathers in the future market competition to the head enterprises, and the industry reshuffle may increase.
Under the above-mentioned power battery market pattern, self-developed batteries by car companies have become the proper meaning. In order to “break through” the bottleneck of power battery energy density and safety, in addition to BYD’s blade battery, various car companies have also launched their own battery brands. For example, Great Wall Motor’s Dayu battery, Changan Automobile’s golden bell jar battery, GAC Aion’s magazine battery, Geely Automobile’s gold brick battery, etc.
In addition, traditional car companies such as Great Wall, Geely, SAIC, GAC, Chery, etc., in order to control the dominance of the “heart” in their own hands, in addition to releasing their own battery brands and building production lines, they also vigorously lay out the battery business through investment, cooperation and other methods, that is, self-research and self-production + foreign cooperation. In fact, “Ningwang” has established joint ventures with SAIC, GAC, FAW, Changan, Geely, Dongfeng, BAIC, etc.
It is worth noting that as the new energy vehicle market has entered a new stage of market-oriented development, even under the aura of the two giants, the results of self-developed batteries by car companies have appeared.
As a subsidiary of Geely Group, Quzhou Jidian New Energy, founded in 2022, focuses on the production and supply of new energy power cells, battery packs, three-in-one electric drive systems and energy storage systems. According to data from the Gasgoo Automotive Research Institute, from January to April this year, Quzhou Jidian achieved a battery loading capacity of 2,668MWh, with a market share of 1.9%. It is worth noting that this performance has exceeded the installed capacity of LG New Energy in the domestic market in the same period. LG New Energy’s installed capacity from January to April was 2,603Mwh, ranking ninth, with a market share of 1.8%.
Inpai battery is also one of the layouts of GAC Group in the “self-research and self-production” of power batteries, and the three major shareholders are GAC Aion, GAC Passenger Car, and Youpai Energy Technology, all of which are subsidiaries of GAC Group. In December 2023, the Inpai Battery Intelligent Ecological Factory was officially put into operation. It is reported that Inpai Battery provides batteries for some models of GAC Aion and Haobo, and will expand other customers in the future. According to data released by the China Automotive Power Battery Industry Innovation Alliance, the monthly installed capacity of Inpeng batteries has been stable in the top 15 for many consecutive months. It is foreseeable that the ranking of Inpai Battery in the power battery loading list will be further improved in the future.
Use batteries as carriers to grab the next match point in the market?
In the process of developing the new energy vehicle industry, new competitive points are emerging one after another. However, no matter how the market changes, the precise control of power batteries has always been the key to the competition of car companies.
In the long-term layout of car companies, batteries are still the winners and losers of future market outbreaks. As early as the 2025 Shanghai Auto Show, Geely Holding Group announced the completion of strategic integration of its battery business and officially established a new battery industry group, Zhejiang Jiyao Tong Energy Technology Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as “Jiyao Tong”), which unified the original gold brick battery and Aegis short knife battery into the Aegis gold brick battery brand, and realized the combination of Geely’s self-developed and self-produced battery safety system (Aegis) and battery cell products (gold bricks).
Regarding the reason for Geely’s battery business integration, Zheng Xin, vice president and CSO of Geely Holding Group, mentioned, “In the future, the battery industry must be concentrated in the head with the intensification of competition in the automotive industry, and we judge that the next three years will be a knockout round.” This move is actually aimed at winning this knockout match, doing a good job in explosive battery cells, and forming new competitiveness. ”
Image source: Geely
According to Jiyao’s global strategic goals, it is expected to form a battery production capacity of 70GWh by 2027. In the next two years, the proportion of self-supply of Geely’s own battery cells will increase to 30%. In the future, Jiyao Tong will also manage the joint venture between Geely and CATL, as well as the joint venture between Geely and Sunwanda.
From the perspective of corporate strategic layout, through integration, Geely has achieved closer synergy between the battery business and the vehicle business. Jiyao Tong has in-depth communication with OEMs, jointly promotes project development, and focuses on allocating resources to tackle core issues of concern to users such as safety, lifespan, energy density, and fast charging.
For example, on the basis of the electrochemical material system of existing battery cell products, it takes the lead in introducing solid-state battery technology and materials to improve key performance, so as to bring users a better experience. At the same time, by integrating internal resources and avoiding “internal friction”, Geely can improve R&D efficiency, reduce production costs, and make the independent battery supply chain system more perfect.
During the critical window period of the electrification transformation of the global automotive industry, power battery technology innovation and industrial chain ecological construction are becoming the core battlefield for car companies to reconstruct the global competitive landscape. With the acceleration of electrification, the importance of batteries, as key components, to improve the overall performance of the body is becoming more and more prominent.
For example, Xiaomi Auto, a new player in the automotive industry, did not have a self-developed battery, but in December 2023 released CTB integrated battery technology, which was developed by Xiaomi Auto and CATL to achieve the world’s highest volume efficiency of 77.8%. It is reported that the CTB integrated battery technology is used to combine the battery cover and the body floor into one, making the vehicle safety structure more complete, improving the strength of the vehicle, and providing more passenger compartment space.
Another example is the ideal car of pure electric again, in order to improve the energy replenishment experience of users, the three-electric platform, charging platform and other products are handed over to a team. The project team that operates multiple platforms from the perspective of users has gained a more independent and different perspective, allowing Li Auto to create energy replenishment products with fast charging, wide coverage and good experience as the three most essential elements.
Under the “obsession”, it is still difficult to make progress
Some people say that car companies’ self-developed batteries are not bitter. Digging deeper, it was found that the self-developed batteries of car companies are a must. Its essence is to control industrial dominance through vertical integration and reconstruct core competitiveness in the era of electrification, which is a game of cost and supply chain in the short term, and a competition for technical routes and industry discourse in the long run.
The three core advantages of car companies’ self-developed batteries are:
The first is to control costs. Batteries account for a high proportion of the cost of the whole vehicle, generally reaching 40%-60%. The chairman of GAC Group has bluntly said that the cost of power batteries accounts for 40%-60% of the cost of automobiles, and it feels like he is working for a battery factory. Xpeng Motors once negotiated a price reduction with a battery supplier, but was rejected, and then went to find other battery companies as new suppliers. When the terminal market is fighting a price war, BYD’s vertical integration of the supply chain can give it the confidence to reduce prices. It can be said that car companies’ self-developed batteries can avoid being raised by suppliers, save costs, and improve gross profit margin and competitiveness.
The second is to ensure supply. After experiencing the “battery shortage” and large fluctuations in lithium carbonate prices, car companies have suffered from supply chain fluctuations. Car companies develop and manufacture their own batteries, which can maintain a stable and independent supply chain.
The third is to master the core technology. The battery is the core component of electric vehicles, determining vehicle performance and user experience. Car companies’ self-developed batteries can master core technologies, consolidate their competitiveness, develop more differentiated model products, and form a brand moat.
Image source: CATL
However, self-developed batteries look good, but it is not easy to get through this path. The R&D and production costs of battery technology are high, requiring a lot of capital and human resources, and the update speed of battery technology is also relatively fast, requiring continuous research and development to stay ahead. It can be said that power battery R&D and manufacturing are heavy asset investments, and self-made power batteries must ensure a certain annual production capacity to reach the profit line.
Under the “obsession”, although it is difficult to advance, the self-developed batteries of car companies are “bright and bright”. Not long ago, some media broke the news that NIO will develop and supply power batteries for the British supercar brand McLaren for the latter’s hybrid models. It is reported that the relevant battery pack will be based on NIO’s self-developed 4680 large cylindrical battery, which is expected to be mass-produced in small batches next year.
The news mentioned that under the guidance of CYVN, the major shareholder of NIO, NIO will restart the research and development of 46105 large cylindrical batteries and 120-degree battery packs based on cooperation with Forseven. According to people familiar with the matter, the 46105 battery and 120-degree battery pack will be jointly developed by NIO and Forseven, and are planned to be mass-produced by EVE Lithium Energy or Foxconn, but the node is not yet certain. Previously, this battery pack was originally planned to be installed on NIO’s flagship sedan ET9 launched this year, but for some reason it failed to land.
From the perspective of the development of the entire industry, some industry insiders predict that in the future, leading car companies with strong resources, technology and capital may gradually achieve battery autonomy, while small and medium-sized car companies will still rely on third-party supply.
Betting on the next generation of battery technology?
Many people believe that solid-state batteries are the beginning of the real strangulation of new energy vehicles against traditional fuel vehicles. As a new battlefield of “reshuffling”, in the arms race for the mass production of solid-state batteries, in addition to battery manufacturers, car companies have begun to “officially announce” their own solid-state batteries, determined to have a collective “counterattack”.
Looking back at the development history of power batteries, the technology of ternary lithium batteries or lithium iron phosphate batteries is firmly in the hands of CATL, BYD, LG, and Panasonic. The research and development of solid-state batteries is equivalent to overtaking in corners, and car companies are starting from scratch, and the opportunity is fairer.
Image source: Xiaomi Auto
A few days ago, Xiaomi Auto officially announced a patent titled “Solid-state Battery Composite Electrode and Preparation Method and Solid-State Battery Containing Its Composite Electrode”, revealing the research progress of its solid-state battery in detail at the patent level for the first time.
In summary, this patent is a more efficient and safer new solid-state battery structure design and manufacturing process, especially to solve the core problems of slow charging and low capacity of thick electrodes, as well as the possibility of combustion and explosion after thermal runaway of liquid batteries.
In addition to Xiaomi cars, Huawei cars are also laying out solid-state batteries. As early as early 2025, Huawei announced a patent on the preparation of sulfide materials.
Lian Yubo, chief scientist, chief automotive engineer and president of the Automotive Engineering Research Institute of BYD, previously said: “The large-scale production of solid-state batteries is facing challenges in the short term, and it is expected that it will be difficult to achieve mass production in the next three years, while it will be more realistic to achieve it in five years.” ”
From a global perspective, the industrialization process of solid-state batteries continues to press the “acceleration button”. Dongfeng Motor, SAIC, Mercedes-Benz, Toyota, etc. have successively announced the mass production schedule of solid-state batteries.
It is understood that since 2018, Dongfeng Motor has actively deployed advanced technologies such as all-solid-state lithium batteries and fuel cells, and set up a professional team to carry out systematic research from materials to systems. At present, Dongfeng has mastered key technologies such as electrolytes, separators, and in-situ curing, and has launched 240Wh/kg and 350Wh/kg solid-state battery products.
Dongfeng Motor previously said that it will soon be reducedCapacitysolid-state battery products with a density of 350Wh/kg, and said that it will accelerate the research and development of the next generation of all-solid-state batteries, with the goal of breaking through the energy density of 550Wh/kg. According to the plan, Dongfeng Motor’s self-developed solid-state battery will be tested on Dongfeng Yipai and Dongfeng nano models in August next year.
SAIC Motor also announced at the first extraordinary general meeting of shareholders in 2024 that its all-solid-state battery project has entered a 500-day countdown to production, and it is expected to achieve mass production and delivery of new Zhiji cars by 2027.
Image source: SAIC
Japan laid out all-solid-state batteries relatively early. Toyota’s development and production plan for next-generation high-performance batteries and all-solid-state batteries has been certified by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) and officially included in the Japanese government’s “Battery Supply Assurance Program”. According to Toyota’s plan, it will start the production of solid-state batteries in 2026, with limited initial production, and plans to gradually increase production by 2027 and 2028, and set its long-term goal of large-scale mass production in 2030 and beyond, when the full promotion of solid-state batteries is expected to become a reality.
On the stage of liquid batteries, CATL and BYD are the absolute protagonists. Nowadays, solid-state batteries have not yet officially debuted, and the stage has become lively. Whoever makes solid-state batteries first will be able to define the electric vehicle pattern of the next era. Now, this technical arms race has just begun, and these car companies that have joined the self-developed solid-state battery team are likely to become new protagonists.
epilogue: In the fierce competition in the new energy vehicle industry, power batteries, as the core component, have become the key to the competition of car companies. At present, CATL and Fodi batteries dominate the market, but car companies’ self-developed batteries have emerged. It is undeniable that car companies’ self-developed batteries have the advantages of controlling costs, ensuring supply, and mastering core technologies, and as the next generation of solid-state battery technology has become the new focus of competition for car companies, Dongfeng, SAIC, Toyota, etc. have announced mass production plans. In the future, the pattern of the new energy vehicle industry will change due to the development of battery technology, and car companies also need to continue to innovate in order to stand out from the competition.
