According to the latest data released on May 6 by SNE Research, a South Korean market research firm, global power battery installations reached 244.6 GWh in the first quarter of 2026, up 9.1% year-on-year. While the overall market maintains steady growth, the ranking landscape has undergone dramatic changes.

In the Q1 2026 global power battery installation rankings released by SNE Research, Samsung SDI's name was notably absent for the first time. China's Sunwoda entered the top 10, claiming the tenth spot with 5.5 GWh of installations and a 2.2% market share.

Chinese battery makers now occupy seven of the top 10 positions—CATL, BYD, CALB, Gotion High-Tech, EVE Energy, SVOLT, and Sunwoda—with total installations of 174.3 GWh and a combined global market share of 71.4%, up from 67.5% during the same period last year.

The current top 10 global power battery installation rankings are as follows, in order: CATL, BYD, LG Energy Solution, CALB, Gotion High-Tech, Panasonic, SK On, EVE Energy, SVOLT, and Sunwoda.

CATL Extends Its Lead, China's Second-Tier Battery Makers Accelerate Growth

CATL maintained its global top ranking with 99.5 GWh in Q1 2026, up 15.2% year-on-year, commanding a 40.7% market share—the company's highest on record, up from 38.5% a year earlier.

BYD ranked second with 33.5 GWh of installations, capturing a 13.7% market share. Together, CATL and BYD accounted for 54.4% of the global market—a figure higher than the combined share of all other top 10 players.

China's second-tier battery makers also posted strong performances:

• CALB ranked fourth with 11.6 GWh, up 31.7% year-on-year；

• Gotion High-Tech ranked fifth with 10.2 GWh, overtaking Panasonic with 26.3% growth；

• EVE Energy ranked eighth with 7.5 GWh, up 17.5%；

• SVOLT ranked ninth with 6.5 GWh, recording the highest growth rate among the top 10 at 33.6%.

Why Did Samsung SDI Fall Behind?

A closer look at performance reveals that Samsung SDI's exit is emblematic of a much deeper issue: the South Korean battery sector as a whole is struggling.

The combined global market share of South Korea's three major battery manufacturers—LG Energy Solution, SK On, and Samsung SDI—fell to 15.6% in Q1 2026, marking a 2.1 percentage point decline from the same period last year.

• LG Energy Solution held steady at third place with 23.7 GWh, but its market share is being steadily squeezed；

• SK On slipped to seventh with 9.0 GWh, down 10.4% year-on-year；

• Samsung SDI dropped out of the top 10 entirely.

So what went wrong for Samsung SDI?

First, demand in the US market has collapsed. The sharp 28.4% drop in US electric vehicle sales has dealt a heavy blow to South Korean battery makers, whose primary customers are concentrated in North America. Samsung SDI has particularly high exposure to clients such as Rivian and Jeep—both heavily reliant on the North American market—and its battery usage has declined significantly as EV sales among those customers slow.

Second, South Korea's technology strategy is lagging behind. While battery makers in China have successfully scaled up LFP (lithium iron phosphate) production, capitalizing on the chemistry's cost advantages and growing global popularity, South Korean players remain heavily focused on nickel-based NCM batteries—a strategy that is losing ground as LFP surges ahead. In Q1 2026, LFP installations reached 128.1 GWh, up 20% year-on-year, accounting for 56.8% of the market, while NCM installations contracted by 2%. South Korea's battery manufacturers, having previously dismissed LFP technology as inferior, are now scrambling to catch up after falling behind.

Third, the overall market is cooling. Global power battery installations grew at a modest 9.1% year-on-year in Q1—a sharp slowdown from the 20%-plus growth rates seen in previous years. The market has entered a new phase of structural adjustments and intensified competition. Japanese battery makers, meanwhile, were reduced to a single top 10 presence: Panasonic ranked sixth with 9.1 GWh, but its global market share has dwindled to just 3.7%.

A New Era of Global Battery Competition

Samsung SDI's fall from the top 10 is not just a quarterly fluctuation—it signals that the global power battery market has entered a major realignment period. For much of this decade, the industry has been defined by capacity expansion and rapid growth. Now, the game is shifting toward cost efficiency, customer diversification, and technological leadership—areas where Chinese battery makers have pulled decisively ahead.

Samsung SDI is racing to adjust, accelerating development of all-solid-state battery technology with plans for mass production in the second half of 2027. But whether such next-generation technologies can quickly reverse a multi-quarter slide in core automotive battery business remains uncertain.

As the global power battery market enters its "second half," the continued dominance of Chinese battery makers suggests that the battle for global leadership has entered a decisive new chapter.

(Source: SNE Research, Comprehensive Report)