Lithium iron phosphate battery price trend chart

Why are lithium iron phosphate cathode chemistries becoming more popular in China?

Lithium iron phosphate (LFP) cathode chemistries have reached their highest share in the past decade. This trend is driven mainly by the preferences of Chinese OEMs. Around 95% of the LFP batteries for electric LDVs went into vehicles produced in China, and BYD alone represents 50% of demand.

What is the difference between lithium ion battery prices and nickel prices?

Data until March 2023. Lithium-ion battery prices (including the pack and cell) represent the global volume-weighted average across all sectors. Nickel prices are based on the London Metal Exchange, used here as a proxy for global pricing, although most nickel trade takes place through direct contracts between producers and consumers.

What happened to battery metal prices in 2022?

Turmoil in battery metal markets led the cost of Li-ion battery packs to increase for the first time in 2022, with prices rising to 7% higher than in 2021. However, the price of all key battery metals dropped during 2023, with cobalt, graphite and manganese prices falling to lower than their 2015-2020 average by the end of 2023.

How does battery demand affect nickel & lithium demand?

Battery demand for lithium stood at around 140 kt in 2023, 85% of total lithium demand and up more than 30% compared to 2022; for cobalt, demand for batteries was up 15% at 150 kt, 70% of the total. To a lesser extent, battery demand growth contributes to increasing total demand for nickel, accounting for over 10% of total nickel demand.

Which battery chemistry is most popular in 2022?

IEA. Licence: CC BY 4.0 In 2022, lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxide (NMC) remained the dominant battery chemistry with a market share of 60%, followed by lithium iron phosphate (LFP) with a share of just under 30%, and nickel cobalt aluminium oxide (NCA) with a share of about 8%.

How did cobalt and nickel affect battery prices in 2023?

In 2023, the supply of cobalt and nickel exceeded demand by 6.5% and 8%, and supply of lithium by over 10%, thereby bringing down critical mineral prices and battery costs. While low critical mineral prices help bring battery costs down, they also imply lower cash flows and narrower margins for mining companies.