Countries worldwide are renewing or adapting their political strategies for battery technologies. In this context, a new Fraunhofer ISI report is analysing the different battery policies and targets with focus on three fields of battery technology research: Lithium-ion, solid-state, and alternative batteries.
As volumes increased, battery costs plummeted and energy density — a key metric of a battery’s quality — rose steadily. Over the past 30 years, battery costs have fallen by a dramatic 99 percent; meanwhile, the density of top-tier cells has risen fivefold.
Battery production has been ramping up quickly in the past few years to keep pace with increasing demand. In 2023, battery manufacturing reached 2.5 TWh, adding 780 GWh of capacity relative to 2022. The capacity added in 2023 was over 25% higher than in 2022.
As manufacturing capacity expands in the major electric car markets, we expect battery production to remain close to EV demand centres through to 2030, based on the announced pipeline of battery manufacturing capacity expansion as of early 2024.
Battery technology first tipped in consumer electronics, then two- and three-wheelers and cars. Now trucks and battery storage are set to follow. By 2030, batteries will likely be taking market share in shipping and aviation too. Exhibit 3: The battery domino effect by sector
In China, battery demand for vehicles grew over 70%, while electric car sales increased by 80% in 2022 relative to 2021, with growth in battery demand slightly tempered by an increasing share of PHEVs. Battery demand for vehicles in the United States grew by around 80%, despite electric car sales only increasing by around 55% in 2022.