MAR 2018
The global battery market is experiencing rapid growth, because of fall in battery costs and increasing applications from both the automotive and industrial sectors, powered by usage in telecom, railways, power, and other industrial applications. Secondary batteries are rechargeable batteries that are more cost-efficient over the long term, although individual batteries are more expensive.
Although OEMs prefer branded batteries, unorganized players are predominant in the replacement market. Unorganized players price batteries at about 20-25% lower costs than branded players. The unorganized battery makers cater primarily to the commercial vehicle segment, which is less quality-sensitive but cost-sensitive. The market share of the unorganized battery manufacturers is expected to reduce, with the growing awareness among users about inferior quality batteries, implementation of policies across countries, and various initiatives taken by organized battery manufacturers.
Governments across the globe aim to have 70 million electric vehicles on road by 2025 and 530 million by 2040, which is expected to increase the demand for lithium-ion batteries from 21 GWh in 2016 to 1,300 GWh by 2030, owing to their cost advantages, light weight, and ongoing improvements in lithium-ion battery technology.
An expanding solar PV industry, rising electricity costs, and growing demand for electric, hybrid electric, and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles are creating a significant growth opportunity for the battery industry. Rise in the need for security of energy supply, technological development, increasing disposable incomes of customers, development of new applications for batteries, and decreasing prices of raw materials for manufacturing the latest battery products further aided the growth of the secondary battery industry.
Moreover, to meet the power demand during peak periods, utilities are expected to continue implementing energy storage solutions, of which, most of the energy is generated from renewable energy sources, during off-peak periods. Government policies are also expected to drive the adoption of advanced batteries for utility-scale energy storage applications. Evolving business models and involvement of utilities in the energy storage space are expected to further enhance the adoption of energy storage systems (ESSs) in the future. This is likely to escalate the demand for rechargeable batteries during the forecast period.
North America and Europe accounted for a significant share in the global secondary battery market in 2016, because of increasing electric vehicle production and sales. Asia-Pacific is also expected to witness rapid growth in the secondary battery market during the forecast period, with China and India contributing to the maximum share. In 2016, the Chinese government announced that the subsidies for EVs would be reduced by 20% from 2017 onwards, and allowed total or partial waivers from license plate availability restrictions, thus encouraging consumers to buy electric cars. Moreover, the government had offered financial incentives, thus making electric cars financially accessible. Such initiatives are expected to increase the number of electric vehicles on road, and driving the demand for lithium-ion batteries during the forecast period.
India, being one of the leading manufacturers of automobiles in the world, is witnessing a healthy growth in sales and production of automobiles. As per the National Institution for Transforming India i.e. NITI Aayog, the government has taken the initiative to promote the use of electric vehicles in the country, which is likely to augment the demand for automobile battery in India over the next few years. The Automotive Mission Plan 2016-2026 is one such initiative by Government of India, which aims at increasing automobile production in the country by four to five times by 2026, in comparison to 2016. Furthermore, the government has announced an ambitious plan to electrify the vehicle fleet, targeting to have all new vehicles powered by electricity, by 2030. The rapid rise in vehicle ownership is expected to result in an increasing demand for lithium-ion batteries, owing to their cost advantages, light weight, and ongoing improvements in the lithium-ion battery technology.
MAJOR PLAYERS: Amperex Technologies Ltd, BYD Co. Ltd, LG Chem Ltd, Panasonic Corporation, Samsung SDI Co. Ltd, Saft Groupe SA,Tianjin Lishen Battery Company Limited, Hitachi Chemical Co. Ltd, A123 Systems LLC, Exide Technologies, Johnson Controls
