In September 2019, the average new passenger EV sold globally (including HEVs, PHEVs and BEVs) contained 12.2 kilograms of lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE) in its battery, a modest increase of 4% over the same month the year prior, according to Adamas Intelligence’s latest “EV Battery Lithium Monthly” report.

On a regional basis, batteries deployed in China remain the greatest consumers of LCE on a per-EV basis, reaching a sales-weighted average of 19.9 kilograms of LCE in September 2019, 7% more than in September 2018.

In Europe, the average new passenger EV sold in September 2019 contained 15.8 kilograms of LCE, a booming increase of 57% over the same month the year prior as BEV sales growth substantially outpaced that of PHEVs, and sales of high-capacity BEVs in particular, such as the Tesla Model 3, continue to accelerate.

In the US, the average new passenger EV sold in September 2019 contained 15.2 kilograms of LCE, 12% less than in September 2018 due to the average EV’s battery capacity dropping by 11% over the same period.

In Japan, where HEV sales make up 95% of the EV market, the average new passenger EV sold in September 2019 contained a mere 1.1 kilograms of LCE, an increase of 4% over the same month the year prior.