There are only ten rechargeable lithium battery cell manufacturers all over the world. A large proportion of Japanese manufacturers are engaged in the production of laptop battery cells, while South Korean and Chinese manufacturers mainly focus on producing battery cells for cell phone and other portable electronic appliances, the unit prices of which are far lower than laptop battery cell’s.

Shipment ; Income of World’s Major Lithium Secondary Battery Manufacturers, 2009-2010
The rechargeable lithium battery industry chain is long and extensive. The four major raw materials for rechargeable lithium battery by cost attribution are anode material, separator, electrolyte and cathode material. Non-power rechargeable lithium battery batteries usually adopt LiCo2O4 as anode material. However, the anode material of motive lithium battery is categorized into LiMn2O4 and LiFePO4. Japanese manufacturers mainly specialize in LiMn2O4, and have successively issued several electric cars with LiMn2O4 battery. Now, the frequent auto recalls make auto manufacturers behave extremely cautious that they won’t have a test for LiFePO4 battery manufacturers. At present, the major anode material manufacturers are from Japan and Europe. In 2010, thanks to the sharp demand from South Korea’s LG Chemical and Samsung SDI, Umicore surpassed Japan’s Nichia to become the world’s largest rechargeable lithium battery anode material company, with over 30% market shares. However, the rechargeable lithium battery anode material only accounted for less than 10% of Umicore’s income. Nichia, the world’s biggest LED manufacturer, also the world’s largest rechargeable lithium battery anode manufacturer by 2010, holds more than 20% market shares. BYD, a large electric vehicle manufacturer of China, purchases LiFePO4 batteries from Tianjin STL Energy Technology Co., Ltd. Now, only Japan’s rechargeable lithium battery manufacturers are capable of producing anode materials by themselves. Subordinated to Samsung Group, Chiel Industries is the world’s largest manufacturer of rechargeable lithium battery electrolyte as well as the largest clothing enterprise in South Korea. ; ;Compared with the rechargeable lithium battery upstream manufacturers in China, almost all of the overseas manufacturers are super-big plants with the annual revenue usually surpassing US$1 billion. Rechargeable lithium battery hybrid vehicles or electric vehicles are slowly promoted, while the upstream rechargeable lithium battery industry in China has been confronted with overcapacity.