China fuels EV battery boom as industry landscape shifts, Adamas says

Electric vehicle battery capacity could hit a record one terawatt-hour this year, according to Frik Els, a battery metals expert at Adamas Intelligence, with China expected to represent up to 60% of the global total for 2025.

“The growth in battery capacity is not just about numbers; it signals a fundamental shift in how we source critical metals and design EV batteries,” Els said during a January industry conference in Vancouver.

Els says battery chemistries are changing. Automakers are moving from traditional nickel-cobalt-manganese cells to lithium-ion phosphate, and mid-nickel technologies. This evolution is upending established supply chains and forcing a rethink in the metals market.

Els also points out that the change is partly driven by regional policy differences. Declining subsidies in North America, new emissions rules in Europe and China’s ongoing support of its EV industry will drive further changes in the global EV landscape.

Watch the full conversation with The Northern Miner’s western editor, Henry Lazenby.