Electric car batteries are primarily manufactured in China, which dominates the global supply chain. However, production is rapidly expanding in other regions, including the United States and Europe, driven by new government policies and investments from automakers.
The heart of an electric vehicle (EV) is its lithium-ion battery pack. While a car might be assembled in one country, the battery cells—the individual units that store energy—and the raw materials needed to make them are sourced from a complex, global network. China currently holds a commanding position, producing over 70% of the world's EV battery cells. Major Chinese companies like CATL and BYD supply batteries to automakers worldwide.
Significant manufacturing capacity is also growing in the United States. The Inflation Reduction Act has incentivized companies to build gigafactories domestically. Companies like Panasonic (supplying Tesla), LG Energy Solution, and SK On have established or are building massive battery plants in states like Michigan, Ohio, and Georgia. Similarly, Europe is scaling up its own production with gigafactories from Northvolt in Sweden and others.
The sourcing of raw materials like lithium, cobalt, and nickel is another critical layer, with mining and processing concentrated in countries like Australia, Chile, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Indonesia. This globalized system means the "made in" label for an EV battery is often a multinational story.
| Battery Manufacturer | Key Production Locations | Notable Automaker Partners |
|---|
| CATL (China) | China, Germany, Hungary (planned) | Tesla, BMW, Ford, Volkswagen |
| LG Energy Solution (S. Korea) | South Korea, USA, Poland, China | General Motors, Ford, Tesla, Hyundai |
| Panasonic (Japan) | Japan, USA (Nevada, Kansas) | Tesla |
| BYD (China) | China | BYD Auto, Tesla, Toyota |
| SK On (S. Korea) | South Korea, USA, Hungary | Ford, Hyundai, Volkswagen |
| Northvolt (Sweden) | Sweden, Germany | Volkswagen, BMW, Volvo |
| Envision AESC (China) | China, UK, USA, Japan, France | Nissan, Mercedes-Benz |
