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    Batteries and energy storage tracker

    Battery packs hit a record low of 108 dollars per kilowatt-hour in 2025 and the US planned 24 gigawatts of grid batteries for 2026, while sodium-ion entered mass-production cars and solid-state moved to pilot lines.[1][2][3][4] The biggest near-term uncertainty is trade: China's suspended battery export controls are due to expire on 10 November 2026.[5]

    Editor reviewedUpdated Batteries and energy storageEnergy and climateScience

    What we know

    • Average lithium-ion pack prices fell 8% in 2025 to 108 dollars per kilowatt-hour; stationary packs reached 70 dollars[1]
    • LFP made up over 55% of EV batteries deployed in 2025[18]
    • China holds over 80% of global battery manufacturing capacity[9]
    • US battery storage reached nearly 52 GW by mid-2026[8]
    • Sodium-ion capacity is just over 1% of lithium-ion capacity[19]
    • China's October 2025 battery export controls are suspended until 10 November 2026[5]

    What we don't know yet

    • Whether China extends, lets lapse, or reinstates its battery and graphite export controls after 10 November 2026
    • Whether the first all-solid-state cars from Toyota, BYD or Samsung SDI customers arrive on schedule in 2027-28, and in what volumes
    • Whether Form Energy's Cambridge iron-air pilot reaches commercial operation by the end of 2026 and performs as claimed
    • How quickly sodium-ion cars sell after the 2026 CATL-Changan launch
    • Whether battery pack prices keep falling in 2026 despite lithium and cobalt prices roughly doubling
    Story status

    Story status

    State
    developing
    Started
    2019-10-09
    Timeline entries
    20
    Last entry

    Timeline data (JSON)

    Where things stand

    As of October 2026, battery costs are at record lows and deployment is still accelerating. The average pack cost 108 dollars per kilowatt-hour in 2025, and stationary packs cost 70 dollars.[1][6] EV battery deployment reached 1.2 terawatt-hours.[7] US grid battery capacity neared 52 gigawatts by mid-2026.[8] China dominates manufacturing, with over 80% of capacity.[9] The tracker’s start date marks the 2019 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for the development of lithium-ion batteries, used here as the opening of the field’s modern era.[10] Most entries are from 2024 onward.

    What to watch next

    • 10 November 2026. China’s suspension of its battery and graphite export controls expires. Watch whether it is extended or the controls take effect.[5]
    • Form Energy’s first pilot. The Cambridge, Minnesota project was expected online during 2026, after slipping from late 2025.[11][12]
    • Sodium-ion sales. The CATL-Changan car was due on the market by mid-2026. Watch for volumes and for the launch of CATL’s storage cell.[3][13]
    • BloombergNEF’s December 2026 price survey. BNEF expected pack prices to fall again in 2026 despite higher raw-material prices.[14][15]
    • Solid-state milestones. Watch for progress from the QuantumScape Eagle Line and Idemitsu’s pilot plant ahead of 2027-28 launch targets.[4][16][17]
    • US storage additions. EIA data will show whether the planned 24 gigawatts for 2026 was delivered.[2]

    Timeline

    16 confirmed4 reported

    1. confirmed

      US battery storage capacity nears 52 GW[8]

    2. reported

      Samsung SDI reaffirms 2H 2027 solid-state mass production target[34]

    3. reported

      China's solid-state battery classification standard due[33]

      The standard separates liquid, hybrid solid-liquid and all-solid-state EV batteries.

    4. reported

      CATL details sodium-ion cell for grid storage[13]

    5. confirmed

      Form Energy and Crusoe sign 12 GWh iron-air deal for data centers[32][11]

    6. confirmed

      CATL reports 2025 net profit of 72.2 billion yuan[31]

    7. confirmed

      30 GWh iron-air project announced in Google-Xcel agreement[29][30]

      Described as the largest battery project by energy capacity announced to date; first modules expected by end-2028.

    8. confirmed

      US developers plan record 24 GW of battery storage for 2026[2][28]

    9. confirmed

      CATL and Changan unveil mass-production sodium-ion passenger car[3][27]

    10. confirmed

      QuantumScape inaugurates Eagle Line solid-state pilot line[4]

    11. reported

      Idemitsu building solid electrolyte pilot plant for Toyota[16]

      The Chiba plant, of several hundred tons a year, is due for completion at the end of 2027.

    12. confirmed

      US 25% tariff on Chinese non-EV lithium-ion batteries takes effect[20]

    13. confirmed

      Battery pack prices hit record low of 108 dollars per kWh[1][6]

    14. confirmed

      China suspends battery export controls until November 2026[5][26]

    15. confirmed

      China announces export controls on batteries, cathodes and graphite anodes[25]

    16. confirmed

      US tax law adds prohibited-foreign-entity rules for storage credits[23][24]

      Storage projects starting in 2026 must source at least 55% of costs from non-prohibited entities, rising to 75% by 2030.

    17. confirmed

      First gigawatt-hour-scale flow battery connected in Xinjiang[22]

      Rongke Power's 200 MW / 1 GWh vanadium flow station in Jimsar County went onto the grid.

    18. confirmed

      CATL launches Hong Kong secondary listing[21]

      The listing aimed to raise 4 to 5.3 billion dollars, in particular for a plant in Debrecen, Hungary.

    19. confirmed

      US finalises Section 301 tariff increases on Chinese batteries[20]

      EV battery tariffs rose to 25% in 2024; non-EV lithium-ion batteries and natural graphite were scheduled to follow in 2026.

    20. confirmed

      Ground broken on first iron-air storage pilot in Minnesota[12]

      Great River Energy and Form Energy began a 1.5 MW, up-to-100-hour project in Cambridge, then expected online by late 2025.

    Sources

    Each numbered claim is a statement we checked against the sources listed with it. Status shows how well established it is.

    1. [1]

      BloombergNEF's 2025 survey found average lithium-ion battery pack prices fell 8% from 2024 to a record low of 108 US dollars per kilowatt-hour. confirmedas of 2025-12-09

    2. [2]

      US developers planned to add 24 gigawatts of utility-scale battery storage in 2026, 28% of all planned capacity additions. confirmedas of 2026-02-20

    3. [3]

      On 5 February 2026 CATL and Changan unveiled what they called the world's first mass-production sodium-ion passenger vehicle, due on the market by mid-2026. confirmedas of 2026-02-05

    4. [4]

      QuantumScape inaugurated its Eagle Line pilot production line, which uses its Cobra separator process, on 4 February 2026. confirmedas of 2026-02-11

    5. [5]

      On 7 November 2025 China suspended the October 2025 battery and graphite anode export controls, together with related rare-earth measures, until 10 November 2026. confirmedas of 2025-11-13

    6. [6]

      Battery pack prices for stationary storage fell to 70 US dollars per kilowatt-hour in 2025, 45% lower than in 2024. confirmedas of 2025-12-09

    7. [7]

      EV battery deployment reached 1.2 terawatt-hours in 2025, almost 30% more than in 2024. confirmedas of 2026-10-10

    8. [8]

      US operational battery storage capacity reached 43.6 gigawatts by the end of 2025 and nearly 52 gigawatts by mid-2026, after average annual growth of 70% over three years. confirmedas of 2026-08-07

    9. [9]

      China holds over 80% of global battery manufacturing capacity, while the EU and the US each hold 6-7%, although capacity in Europe and the US grew about 50% year on year against China's 25%. confirmedas of 2026-10-10

    10. [10]

      The 2019 Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to John B. Goodenough, M. Stanley Whittingham and Akira Yoshino for the development of lithium-ion batteries. confirmedas of 2019-10-10

    11. [11]

      As of March 2026 Form Energy had begun delivering its first commercial pilot system in Minnesota, with the full project expected online in 2026. confirmedas of 2026-03-24

    12. [12]

      In August 2024 Great River Energy and Form Energy broke ground on a 1.5 MW multi-day iron-air storage project in Cambridge, Minnesota, then expected to operate by late 2025. confirmedas of 2024-08-15

    13. [13]

      In April 2026 CATL presented a sodium-ion cell for stationary storage with about 160 Wh/kg and more than 15,000 cycles to 80% capacity, expected in commercial deployment within 2026. reportedas of 2026-04-20

    14. [14]

      BloombergNEF expects battery pack prices to fall again in 2026, as raw material prices face upward pressure but low-cost LFP keeps spreading. reportedas of 2025-12-09· forecast

    15. [15]

      Lithium prices at the start of 2026 were more than twice their level a year earlier, and cobalt prices also doubled over the year. confirmedas of 2026-10-10

    16. [16]

      In early 2026 Idemitsu began building a solid electrolyte pilot plant at its Chiba site with capacity of several hundred tons a year, due for completion at the end of 2027. reportedas of 2026-02-03

    17. [17]

      The IEA reports that Toyota plans its first all-solid-state battery vehicle by 2028, and BYD plans to sell its first all-solid-state EV from 2027 with mass production from 2030. confirmedas of 2026-10-10

    18. [18]

      LFP batteries made up over 55% of EV batteries deployed globally in 2025, up from nearly 50% in 2024. confirmedas of 2026-10-10

    19. [19]

      Sodium-ion cell manufacturing capacity equals just over 1% of lithium-ion cell capacity, and announced sodium-ion projects for 2030 amount to about 7% of committed lithium-ion capacity. confirmedas of 2026-10-10

    20. [20]

      Under Section 301 tariff increases finalised in September 2024, US tariffs on Chinese lithium-ion EV batteries rose to 25% in 2024, and tariffs on non-EV lithium-ion batteries and natural graphite rose to 25% from 1 January 2026. confirmedas of 2024-09-24

    21. [21]

      In May 2025 CATL launched a Hong Kong secondary listing aiming to raise 4 to 5.3 billion US dollars, in particular to fund a battery plant in Debrecen, Hungary. confirmedas of 2025-05-13

    22. [22]

      Rongke Power's 200 MW / 1 GWh vanadium flow battery station in Jimsar County, Xinjiang, was connected to the grid on 28 May 2025, billed as the first gigawatt-hour-scale flow battery. confirmedas of 2025-05-29

    23. [23]

      The One Big Beautiful Bill Act, enacted on 4 July 2025, added prohibited foreign entity rules that restrict access to the 48E investment, 45Y production and 45X manufacturing tax credits, including for battery storage. confirmedas of 2026-07-16

    24. [24]

      For energy storage projects starting construction in 2026, at least 55% of direct costs must come from non-prohibited foreign entities, a threshold that rises to 75% by 2030. confirmedas of 2026-07-16

    25. [25]

      On 9 October 2025 China announced export controls, due to take effect on 8 November 2025, on high-energy lithium-ion cells (300 Wh/kg and above), cathode materials and precursors, graphite anode materials, and related equipment and technology. confirmedas of 2025-10-14

    26. [26]

      Legal analysts note that although enforcement of China's battery export controls is on hold, the legal framework remains in place, and the US paused its own export "Affiliates Rule" until 9 November 2026 in the same deal. confirmedas of 2025-11-13

    27. [27]

      CATL's Naxtra sodium-ion battery reaches up to 175 Wh/kg, which CATL calls the benchmark for mass production, and gives a pure-electric range above 400 km. confirmedas of 2026-02-05

    28. [28]

      The United States added a record 15 gigawatts of utility-scale battery storage in 2025. confirmedas of 2026-02-20

    29. [29]

      A 2026 agreement between Google and Xcel Energy includes a 300 MW / 30 GWh Form Energy iron-air battery, described as the largest battery project by energy capacity announced to date. confirmedas of 2026-03-04

    30. [30]

      Form Energy's chief executive said the company expects to ship the first modules for the Xcel-Google project by the end of 2028. reportedas of 2026-03-04

    31. [31]

      CATL reported 2025 revenue of 423.7 billion yuan (up 17%), net profit of 72.2 billion yuan (up 42%) and battery shipments of 661 GWh (up 39%). confirmedas of 2026-03-10

    32. [32]

      On 24 March 2026 Form Energy and Crusoe announced an agreement for 12 gigawatt-hours of iron-air storage for AI data centers, with deliveries from 2027 built at Form Factory 1 in Weirton, West Virginia. confirmedas of 2026-03-24

    33. [33]

      China's National Automotive Standardization Technical Committee prepared a standard on solid-state EV battery terms and classification, separating liquid, hybrid solid-liquid and all-solid-state batteries, for release in July 2026. reportedas of 2026-02-11

    34. [34]

      Samsung SDI targets mass production of all-solid-state batteries in the second half of 2027. reportedas of 2026-07-02

    Revision history (1)
    1. Page created.

    Created Oct 10, 2026. Last reviewed by an editor on Oct 10, 2026. Next scheduled review: Dec 10, 2026.

    Cite this page

    "Batteries and energy storage tracker." ContentLora, updated Oct 10, 2026. https://contentlora.com/events/energy-storage-tracker

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