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Global lithium and nickel deployment in electric vehicle batteries surged in May 2025, driven by continued growth in passenger xEV sales and battery capacity, particularly across the Asia-Pacific region, according to the latest Adamas Intelligence report. Despite a broader decline in average material intensity per vehicle, total raw material volumes continued to rise, reflecting robust demand across the EV supply chain.
By Ryan Chigoche
Data from the latest monthly report shows that 48,916 tonnes of lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE) were deployed in newly sold passenger xEVs globally—a 9 percent increase from April and up 22 percent year-on-year. Of this total, 65 percent was lithium carbonate and 35 percent was lithium hydroxide. Chinese battery maker CATL led among suppliers with 15,488 tonnes deployed, while BYD topped the list of automakers at 6,827 tonnes.
Nickel deployment followed a similar upward trend. In May, 28,407 tonnes of nickel were used in passenger xEV batteries, rising 8 percent month-on-month and 7 percent compared to the same period last year. CATL again dominated among cell manufacturers with 8,300 tonnes, while Tesla led all xEV brands, deploying 3,326 tonnes.
However, despite these gains in total volume, the average nickel content per battery declined by 14 percent to 12.2 kilograms, while lithium intensity fell 3 percent year-on-year to 21.0 kilograms per battery. The drop in average intensity is largely attributed to the growing share of plug-in hybrids (PHEVs), which typically use smaller battery packs compared to full battery electric vehicles (BEVs).
The rise in raw material deployment was underpinned by a strong performance in global xEV sales. A total of 2.33 million passenger xEVs were sold worldwide in May, reflecting a 7 percent increase from April and a 25 percent jump over the same month in 2024. The Asia-Pacific region recorded the highest growth, with sales up 10 percent month-on-month and 28 percent year-on-year. Europe and the Americas also posted gains of 4 percent and 3 percent respectively from April, and 25 percent and 15 percent year-on-year.
Zimbabwe Gears Up to Supply EV Battery Materials
The sharp rise in global lithium and nickel deployment offers a timely opportunity for Zimbabwe, which hosts Africa’s most advanced lithium sector and growing upstream processing capacity. Since 2021, Chinese investors have poured over US$1 billion into local projects.
Sinomine’s Bikita Minerals is Africa’s only continuously operating lithium mine, now with a 2 million-tonne-per-year spodumene and lepidolite plant and a recently commissioned cesium (pollucite) processing facility. Bikita has also unveiled plans for a US$400 million smelter for further product refinement.
Prospect Lithium Zimbabwe (Arcadia), owned by Zhejiang Huayou Cobalt following a US$378 million acquisition in 2022, produced over 128,000 tonnes of spodumene concentrate in Q1 2025 (up 48 percent sequentially) and is advancing a 50,000-tonne-per-year lithium sulfate plant.
Premier African’s Zulu project has been recommissioned with improved flotation capacity, targeting spodumene output to serve growing global demand. Other initiatives include Chengxin/Max Mind’s Sabi Star in Buhera and Canmax’s Kamativi project. Zimbabwe plans to ban concentrate exports by 2027 to promote domestic beneficiation.
While nickel production remains limited, these lithium-focused developments position Zimbabwe as a pivotal upstream supplier to meet the surging deployment of battery metals in EVs highlighted by the Adamas report.
Other battery metals also registered volume increases in May, though per-vehicle intensity continued to trend downward. Cobalt deployment rose to 5,080 tonnes, up 10 percent from April and 1 percent year-on-year. Yet the average cobalt content per battery dropped significantly to 2.2 kilograms, down 19 percent compared to May 2024. CATL and Tesla led their respective categories with 1,800 tonnes and 374 tonnes of cobalt deployed.
Manganese usage increased 9 percent month-on-month to 6,327 tonnes, registering a marginal 1 percent gain year-on-year. Like cobalt, average manganese content per battery also declined, falling 19 percent to 2.7 kilograms. CATL led cell suppliers in manganese deployment with 2,355 tonnes, while VW topped automakers at 373 tonnes.
Graphite demand remained strong, in line with the broader increase in EV output. A total of 79,520 tonnes of synthetic and natural graphite was deployed globally in May, up 9 percent from April and 25 percent over the same month last year. CATL accounted for 24,885 tonnes, followed by BYD with 13,178 tonnes.
Unlike other materials, the average graphite content per battery remained flat year-on-year at 34.1 kilograms.
The continued rise in total deployment of lithium and nickel despite falling per-unit averages highlights the pressure on global raw material supply chains as the EV market scales up. With Asia-Pacific leading demand growth and companies like CATL, BYD, and Tesla at the forefront, the need for sustained mining output and secure upstream supply remains a critical issue.
At the same time, automakers and battery producers are increasingly shifting toward chemistries that balance performance with cost and material availability. While average material intensities are falling, total demand for lithium, nickel, and other inputs continues to accelerate, reinforcing long-term bullish fundamentals in the battery metals sector.
