Electric vehicle uptake remained on an upward path in April 2025, with global passenger EV sales—including battery electric vehicles (BEVs), plug-in hybrids (PHEVs), and hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs)—reaching 2.16 million units.
By Ryan Chigoche
Although that marked a 13% decline from March, the figure was still 28% higher than in the same month last year, reflecting sustained market growth despite short-term headwinds.
Asia-Pacific led the market by volume, where sales dropped 11% month-on-month but surged 31% compared to April 2024. Europe recorded a steeper 24% monthly fall but still posted 22% growth on a yearly basis.
In the Americas, EV sales declined by 4% from the previous month but rose 21% year-on-year.
Battery deployment trends closely tracked vehicle sales. According to Adamas Intelligence, 77,615 megawatt-hours (MWh) of battery capacity were installed globally in newly sold EVs during April.
This represented an 11% monthly decline but a 30% year-on-year increase. Chinese cell supplier CATL led the market with 23,208 MWh, while BYD remained the top automaker, accounting for 12,341 MWh.
The average battery capacity per vehicle increased by 2% year-on-year, supported by stronger growth in BEV and PHEV sales than in HEVs.
The rise in overall battery capacity translated into higher demand for key battery metals, although some materials saw monthly declines in volume. Lithium deployment totalled 44,756 tonnes of lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE), comprising 65% carbonate and 35% hydroxide.
The total was down 11% from March but 27% higher than a year ago. CATL and BYD led among suppliers and manufacturers, respectively. The average lithium used per EV stood at 20.7 kg, slightly down from April 2024.
Nickel use followed a similar pattern, with 26,259 tonnes deployed globally—a 14% monthly drop but still 8% up year-on-year.
CATL was again the leading cell supplier, while Tesla led among automakers with 2,636 tonnes.
On average, nickel content per EV battery fell 15% year-on-year to 12.1 kg, pointing to a gradual shift towards chemistries that require less of the metal.
Cobalt volumes showed a rare year-on-year decline. In April, 4,620 tonnes were deployed in EV batteries globally, down 12% from the previous month and 1% lower than April 2024.
CATL remained the top supplier, while Tesla led among automakers with 293 tonnes. The average cobalt intensity per vehicle fell sharply, dropping 23% over the year to 2.1 kg.
Deployment of manganese stood at 5,771 tonnes, reflecting both an 11% month-on-month and 1% year-on-year decline. CATL deployed the most among suppliers, while Volkswagen led among EV makers. Manganese intensity per vehicle dropped 22% year-on-year to 2.7 kg.
Graphite was the exception to the downtrend in monthly volumes. A total of 72,699 tonnes of synthetic and natural graphite was deployed in April, down 11% from March but up 32% compared to the same month last year.
CATL again led suppliers with 21,942 tonnes, and BYD accounted for the most among automakers at 12,844 tonnes. With BEVs accounting for a larger share of total sales, average graphite content per vehicle rose 3% year-on-year to 33.6 kg.
Despite the month-on-month declines across several metrics, the report reinforces the broader trend of accelerating EV adoption and battery raw material consumption.
Chinese firms continue to dominate key segments of the value chain, while year-on-year growth across most materials points to a market still firmly in expansion mode.
At the same time, declining material intensity in key inputs like cobalt, nickel, and manganese suggests that battery chemistries are evolving quickly to meet cost, performance, and sustainability goals.
