买电池要先交预付款，宁德时代称一季度产销两旺

Core Viewpoint - The energy storage battery market is experiencing a shift from oversupply to a state of demand exceeding supply, indicating structural optimization and a concentration of market share among leading companies like CATL and EVE Energy [2]. Group 1: Industry Trends - In recent months, major players in the energy storage battery sector, such as CATL and EVE Energy, have reported that their production capacities are fully utilized, leading to situations where downstream customers must pay deposits to secure battery purchases [2]. - A report from Guohai Securities indicates that there is a potential "rush to install" for certain energy storage projects in the U.S. until mid-2025, driven by production timelines that require advance preparation of materials [3]. Group 2: Company Performance - CATL's Q1 2025 financial report shows a revenue of 84.7 billion yuan and a net profit of 13.96 billion yuan, reflecting a year-on-year growth of 32.9%. The company also reported a gross margin of 24.4% and significant R&D investment exceeding 4.8 billion yuan [4]. - CATL's global market share for power batteries reached 38% in January-February 2025, with a notable 43% market share in Europe, an increase of 8 percentage points year-on-year [4]. - CATL has been selected as the preferred battery storage system supplier for a 19GWh data center project in the UAE, which aims to provide 24-hour clean energy generation [4].