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The study is an attempt to quantify the consumption of key Lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery materials and to gauge the level of impact that market developments such as advancement in battery chemistries and technologies, upsurge in electric vehicle (EV) sales, evolving regulatory scenarios, and increasing shift in consumer preferences toward EVs are expected to have on the demand for individual materials over the 7 year period, 2020–2026. The study also presents historical volumes and revenues across segments for the period 2016–2019.

The scope of the study comprises analysis of the Li-ion battery materials market, focusing on key material types such as cathode materials, anode materials, electrolytes, and separators. The study also highlights the key aspects associated with materials used in the manufacturing of battery housings/casings and the prospects for plastics and composites in applications. It analyzes the demand for battery materials from applications such as EVs, industrial and energy storage systems (ESS), consumer electronics, and others (medical and healthcare devices and portable tools), while taking stock of the consumption of each of these material types on the basis of a robust methodology—comprising analysis of the regional Li-ion battery production, supply of such products, and the uptake of individual materials.

While it took nearly 8 years for the collective global EV (BEVs and PHEVs) sales volume to reach the million-units mark in 2015, the rapid growth in adoption thereafter resulted in annual sales volume reaching nearly 2.3 million in 2019. From a mere 0.7% in 2015, EVs share in the overall automotive sales swiftly reached nearly 2.9% in 2019. The much-awaited surge in adoption of EVs finally seems to be materializing, despite a downward trend in the overall automotive industry, in the case of conventional passenger vehicle sales, especially diesel vehicles, over the last 2 years. Among a multitude of factors, government incentives/subsidies on EVs, coupled with increasingly stringent regulations and legislations pertaining to CO2 emissions, continue to be the primary growth-driving factors for global EV sales.