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(Conference site provided by organizers)
Chinese lithium battery stocks surged across the board on Thursday, with indices tracking electrolytes, lithium mines, power batteries, anode and cathode materials, lithium iron phosphate, and battery manufacturers all gaining more than 6.4%, reflecting strong investor interest ahead of the 2025 World Power Battery Conference in Yibin, Sichuan.
The two-day conference drew over 800 industry leaders, including CATL founder Robin Zeng (Zeng Yuqun), GCL (Group) Holdings chairman Zhu Gongshan, and battery technology expert Ouyang Minggao. Attendees discussed the next phase of the power battery industry, focusing on commercial applications, industrial ecosystems, and global expansion.
The concurrent 2025 Power Battery Application Ecosystem Exhibition showcased the full value chain—from upstream materials to cells, modules, energy storage systems, and applications in electric vehicles, vessels, and low-altitude urban mobility. CATL displayed multiple battery technologies, while exhibition zones highlighted electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft (eVTOLs), commercial electric vehicles, and grid-scale storage systems.
China’s power battery sector has grown exponentially. According to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, installed capacity increased from 63.6 GWh in 2020 to 548.8 GWh in 2024, representing 61.3% of global output. The International Energy Agency reported that global EV battery demand surpassed 1 TWh in 2024.
Domestically, NEV penetration rose from 5.4% in 2020 to 45.28% in 2024, with an average of 48.78% in the first three quarters of 2025. Installed battery capacity from January to September 2025 reached 493.9 GWh, a 43.5% year-on-year increase.
Yibin, hosting the conference for the fourth consecutive year, has become a battery hub. Over 120 supporting projects span the full supply chain, with a planned 300 GWh capacity, 210 GWh of which is complete. The city now supports a full closed-loop value chain from raw materials to recycling. One in ten batteries globally originates from Yibin, where the sector’s output exceeded CNY 100 billion in 2023 and 2024, second only to its liquor industry.
Industry leaders highlighted technical breakthroughs. CATL’s Robin Zeng emphasized broadening application scenarios beyond passenger EVs to commercial EVs, ships, and aircraft. Wang Jianxin, vice chairman of the China Battery Industry Association, noted that mass-produced battery cells now have 10% higher energy density, fast-charging technology above 4C reduces charging by 20+ minutes, and battery cycle life supports one million kilometers. These advances enable battery swap services and vehicle-to-grid integration.
The conference spotlighted CATL and Autoflight’s “Shengshi Long” five-seater eVTOL, capable of cruising at 200 km/h with a 250 km range, using blended wing design and CATL’s battery system for quiet, safe, and energy-efficient operation. Test flights are complete, and the eVTOL has received 35 orders from the UAE. Deliveries are planned for late 2025, with mass production and certification expected in 2026, and public air taxi services projected by 2027.
Energy storage is emerging as a parallel growth area. GCL chairman Zhu Gongshan described power batteries and energy storage as “two golden tracks developing in parallel,” noting increasing demand from AI-driven data centers. As of September 2025, China’s new energy storage installations exceeded 100 million kW—over 40% of global capacity. From January to October, energy storage battery sales totaled 322.8 GWh, up 71.9% year-on-year, accounting for 26.2% of total battery sales. Lithium batteries comprise over 97% of the storage market, with projections of 291.2 GW cumulative capacity by 2030, a CAGR of 24.5% from 2025–2030.
China’s battery companies are expanding overseas. CATL exported 120 GWh in the first three quarters of 2025—nearly 60% of total Chinese exports—and over 50 Chinese firms now produce locally abroad. CATL operates facilities in the U.S., Germany, Hungary, Spain, and Indonesia, with Germany’s plant running stably, Hungary under equipment installation, and Indonesia under construction. Planned annual output could support 200,000–300,000 EVs.
However, international expansion faces challenges. SVOLT Energy chairman Yang Hongxin highlighted high costs and policy instability in Europe, noting that building a factory in Germany is five times costlier than in China, while Thailand offers faster construction and quicker profitability. Experts urge companies to consider exporting technology or resources, following the “smile curve” model of Apple and major chipmakers, where R&D and branding occur in developed markets and manufacturing in Asia.
Artificial intelligence is becoming central to battery R&D, production, and lifecycle management. At the conference, AI-driven platforms were showcased for rapid electrolyte formulation, fully automated cell manufacturing, and second-life battery assessment. AI reduces traditional R&D cycles from 6–8 months to three months, enables predictive quality management, and accelerates all-solid-state battery development. GCL collaborates with NVIDIA and Huawei to develop AI-driven energy modeling for distributed energy systems, virtual power plants, and optimized clean energy production.
China’s lithium battery sector is entering a TWh era, combining cutting-edge technology, integrated industrial ecosystems, AI-driven R&D, and global expansion. With domestic infrastructure reaching world-class scale, emerging energy storage demand, and innovative applications such as eVTOL aircraft, China is cementing its leadership in the global battery market and positioning the industry for long-term growth and international competitiveness.
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