Contained lithium in average plug-in hybrid battery up 11%  

From January through November 2024, 447,037 tonnes of lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE) were deployed onto roads globally in the batteries of newly sold passenger EVs (including BEVs, PHEVs and HEVs) representing a 23% (or 89,922 tonne) increase over the same months in 2023.    

PHEVs led the growth with 67% more LCE deployed over the period than the year before compared to 16% and 25% respectively for BEVs and HEVs.   

At 79,827 tonnes, PHEVs represented 18% of total LCE contained in the batteries of EVs sold over the 11-month period. That’s up from a 13% proportion in 2023.  

Of the total, 63% or 280,650 tonnes were in the form of lithium carbonate and 37% or 166,477 tonnes were in the form of lithium hydroxide, reflecting the greater proportion of EVs sold powered by LFP batteries compared to the year before when the share of carbonate and hydroxide stood at 59% and 41% respectively. 

Over the course of last year automakers were opting for larger batteries across EV types, but PHEV packs are bulking up at a faster rate than BEVs and HEVs.

Consequently, the amount of lithium contained in the average PHEV’s battery jumped by 11% from 12.8 kg to 14.2 kg, from January through November 2024 compared to the same period the year before.   

In the average BEV, lithium loading per unit sold, grew by less than 1% year on year reaching 36.7 kg.   

Last year through November, the average PHEV sold globally contained 39% as much LCE as the average BEV, up from 35% in 2023 and 31% the year before that.   

Overall, the average passenger EV sold globally in 2024 contained 20.6 kg of LCE, down 1% due to the greater share of PHEVs in the global sales mix.