China's August EV battery installations hit 2026 peak of 79 GWh

LFP packs captured a record 85.6% of installations for a third straight month, while ternary chemistry slipped to a record-low 14% as its monthly declines stretched to three.

Power battery installations in China reached 79.0 GWh in August, the strongest month of 2026 so far and enough to overtake June's 76.5 GWh and reverse July's dip, according to CABIA data published Tuesday. The 26.3% annual increase nonetheless represents a cooling from July's 33.5% pace, breaking a four-month run of accelerating growth.

The LFP-versus-ternary split continued to tilt sharply one way. Iron-phosphate packs accounted for 67.6 GWh, up 31.0% year-on-year, lifting their share to 85.6% — a record for the third consecutive month. Ternary installations fell for a third straight month to 11.0 GWh, a record-low 14.0% of the total. Across the first eight months, cumulative installations stood at 489.1 GWh, up 17.0%, with LFP holding 82.3%.

The wider battery market was even livelier. Combined EV and energy-storage production hit 237.0 GWh in August, up 69.8%, and sales reached 223.1 GWh, with storage battery sales (+114.3%) far outpacing EV battery sales (+48.5%). Exports climbed to 42.4 GWh, up 87.5% year-on-year and equivalent to 19.0% of monthly sales.

China's August EV battery installations hit 2026 peak of 79 GWh as LFP share sets new record