鑫椤锂电·2025-11-20 08:04Core Viewpoint - The article highlights the rapid growth and dominance of lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries in the Chinese electric vehicle and energy storage markets, while also addressing the paradox of increasing demand coupled with significant financial losses in the LFP materials sector [2][4][12]. Market Overview - From January to October this year, China's installed capacity of new energy vehicle power batteries reached approximately 578 GWh, with LFP batteries accounting for about 470.2 GWh, representing a staggering 81.3% market share [2]. - In the energy storage sector, LFP batteries hold a near-total market share of 99.9% [2]. - The installed capacity of LFP batteries in the new energy vehicle sector grew by 59.7% year-on-year during the first ten months of the year, while the installed capacity of ternary batteries decreased by three percentage points [2]. Industry Challenges - Despite strong demand, the LFP materials industry faces severe profitability challenges, with many companies unable to achieve profitability [3][12]. - The average market price of LFP materials from January to September was only 14,177.1 yuan per ton, which is below the industry average cost of 16,201.8 yuan per ton [8][12]. - The LFP materials sector has been experiencing continuous losses for over 36 months, with prices plummeting from 173,000 yuan per ton at the end of 2022 to 34,000 yuan per ton by August 2025, a decline of 80.2% [13][18]. Cost and Pricing Dynamics - The cost of LFP materials is significantly impacted by rising prices of raw materials such as lithium, iron, and phosphorus, which have seen substantial increases [15][16]. - Companies in the LFP materials sector struggle to pass on these cost increases to downstream customers, leading to a situation where they must accept orders at a loss [16][17]. - The average asset-liability ratio of six listed LFP materials companies is as high as 67.81%, indicating financial strain [18]. Future Directions - A new cost index for LFP materials is being developed to provide a transparent reference for pricing and to guide the industry towards healthier competition [6][20]. - The establishment of this cost index aims to help companies rebuild pricing logic, curb excessive competition, and promote innovation and quality over mere scale [21][22]. - The association plans to expand this initiative to other critical materials in the lithium battery supply chain to address similar issues of overcapacity and price competition [22].