Data shows that nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) batteries dominate 90% of the global automotive battery market, with Japan possessing the most core technologies. NiMH batteries offer stable performance, mature technology, and a high degree of industrialization, making them a key development direction for new energy in China over the next five years.
Currently, there is much discussion in the market about the application prospects of lithium-ion batteries in the new energy vehicle sector. However, their application prospects in traditional fields have received little attention. Through detailed research on the application of lithium-ion batteries in key areas, it has been found that even if the development of new energy vehicles falls short of expectations, the development prospects of the lithium-ion battery industry remain optimistic.
Currently, laptops and mobile phones remain the two major markets for lithium-ion batteries. In the future, the portability and platformization trends of personal PCs will continue to strongly drive the rapid increase in demand for lithium-ion batteries. Smartphones and touchscreen phones will also ensure a steady increase in shipments. Lithium-ion batteries also hold great promise in many other areas, including digital cameras, PSPs, e-readers, power tools, electric bicycles, and communication backup power supplies.
Through summarizing and analyzing the demand for lithium-ion batteries, we found that the total market size of the important global small lithium-ion battery market was approximately 52.6 billion yuan in 2016. By 2015, the market size was projected to reach around 106.9 billion yuan, double the current size. Over the next five years, the small lithium-ion battery market is expected to maintain an average annual growth rate of around 15%. The continued development of small lithium-ion batteries will provide stable support for the development of the lithium-ion battery industry.
The lithium-ion battery market is expected to maintain a positive overall trend in the coming years. It is projected that by 2020, my country's lithium-ion battery production will reach 205.33 GWh, with a CAGR of 41.88% over the next two years. Specifically, guided by national policies such as the "two-pronged approach," power lithium batteries will be a significant growth driver, with a CAGR of 56.32% over the next two years; digital batteries will be driven by the high-end digital battery market, with a CAGR of 7.87% over the next two years; and in the energy storage battery sector, due to the reduction in lithium-ion battery costs and the addition of new lead grades, the replacement of lead-acid batteries will gradually accelerate, reaching 35.16%.
The rapid development of power lithium-ion batteries in my country is largely attributed to strong government policies supporting the new energy vehicle industry. In 2018, my country's new energy vehicle production increased by 50.62% year-on-year, reaching 1.22 million units, 14.66 times that of 2014. Driven by the development of the new energy vehicle market, my country's power lithium battery market maintained rapid growth from 2017 to 2018. According to research statistics, the production of power lithium batteries increased by 46.07% year-on-year in 2018, reaching 65 GWh.
