Dr Alex Holland
Lagos — China has emerged as the undisputed frontrunner in battery technology development and industrial scale-up. From incremental improvements to lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries to breakthroughs in sodium-ion and next-generation chemistries, Chinese companies are setting the pace in performance, cost-effectiveness, and production capacity. The IDTechEx report, “Advanced Li-ion Batteries 2025-2035: Technologies, Players, Markets, Forecasts”, provides an in-depth analysis and discussion on the trends and developments in advanced and next-generation Li-ion cell materials and designs.
BYD recently unveiled their super-fast charging battery design, while CATL followed closely with their second-generation Shenxing battery. This lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery can charge from 5% to 80% in 15 minutes, with the addition of 520 km of range from a 5-minute charge being advertised. CATL attributes this leap in performance to a combination of improvements in LFP cathode material design, electrode structures, and optimised electrolyte formulations. These developments highlight how the ongoing optimisation of existing Li-ion material, cell, and battery designs can still yield important improvements to battery performance, particularly in charging speed, safety, and efficiency.
Beyond Li-ion, China also leads the commercial push for sodium-ion (Na-ion) batteries. Na-ion batteries are gaining attention due to their potential for better rate performance and low-temperature operation, two areas where traditional LFP batteries can fall short. They also offer a hedge against potential disruption to Li-ion battery material supplies. CATL recently introduced its Na-ion EV battery, branded as Naxtra, marking a significant step toward commercial viability. Although start-ups in Europe and North America are contributing innovations in electrode and cell chemistry, China is ahead in scaling up production. Major Chinese anode and cathode material suppliers have already committed to production facilities for Na-ion components, and cell production is also far more developed.
IDTechEx’s Battery and Energy Storage subscription provides the latest analysis and coverage on Li-ion and Na-ion battery technology innovations, trends, and market developments.
Global competition: Differentiate or die?
China’s dominance is prompting concern among Western manufacturers. Struggles faced by European and North American battery firms, such as Northvolt’s bankruptcy and scaled-back investment plans from companies including ACC, PowerCo, Umicore, and Ford, highlight the steep challenges of keeping pace.
The slowdown in EV adoption during 2024 has made cost and performance parity with internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles a renewed priority, and as current Li-ion designs near their performance limits, especially in terms of energy density, new and advanced battery technologies take on added importance. For companies outside China, breaking through with next-generation technologies may be the only path to survival and relevance. Here, the relatively large number of European and North American start-ups developing next-gen battery technologies provides some hope.
Solid-state batteries remain a long-promised innovation, offering enhanced safety and high energy densities when combined with lithium-metal or anode-free designs. Challenges in scalability, cost, and long-term performance remain, though developments such as Stellantis’ recent validation of solid-state cells from Factorial highlight ongoing progress. In the shorter term, the commercialisation of high silicon content anodes continues, with data from numerous companies highlighting their potential for improved energy density and fast charge capability. At the cathode, ultra-high nickel materials push the performance envelope but will not offer the cost reductions that are highly sought after. The low-cost of LFP batteries has driven their rapid increase in market share from 2020 but further adoption would ingrain global reliance on Chinese supply chains with close to 100% of LFP cathode material production located in China.
Meanwhile, interest in lithium-manganese-rich (Li-Mn-rich) cathodes is rising. These materials promise a middle ground: improved energy density compared to LFP, whilst reducing cost compared to NMC. This may enable Li-Mn-rich cathodes to act as an alternative to LFP in European and North American markets and provide an avenue for supply chain diversification. As ever, challenges remain with questions marks over the stability of Li-Mn-rich cathode materials and commercial deployment lacking.
Innovation, scale, and strategy
A plethora of advanced and next-generation Li-ion battery technologies are being pursued, which will continue to improve the performance of batteries and with them the widespread viability of electric vehicles and stationary storage systems. Outside Asia, and in particular China, the development of next-generation technologies is likely to play a key role in developing competitive domestic battery markets. As policies and geopolitical tensions create uncertainty over the pace of EV and stationary energy storage deployment, developing cost-effective and high performing battery solutions, as well as localized supply chains, will be critical.
IDTechEx’s report Advanced Li-ion Batteries 2025-2035 analyzes many of the key technological advancements in advanced and next-generation Li-ion batteries, including silicon and lithium-metal anodes, manganese-rich cathodes, ultra-high nickel NMC, LMFP, lithium-sulphur batteries, as well as optimised cell and battery designs, and includes coverage of key players and start-ups.
*Dr Alex Holland, Research Director at IDTechEx
