

Battery materials
Overview
Growth in global electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid (PHEV) production has put a spotlight on battery materials. While lithium-ion batteries dominate the current market, this is a rapidly emerging technology space where improved range or charge times can quicky shift industry sentiment and investment in a different direction.
Argus is at the forefront of battery materials pricing and reporting with coverage of common battery metals (lithium, cobalt, nickel, graphite), industry-grade cathodes and black mass. As experts in specialty metals and rare earths, we future-proof our price assessment portfolio with a range of electronic metals crucial to the manufacture of technology deployed in modern vehicles.
Our Argus Battery Materials and Argus Non-Ferrous Markets services help businesses to understand these complicated supply chains, including price volatility and sustainability challenges around future demand.
Minor metals: Battery metals
As automakers continue to invest in electric vehicle production and power companies explore infrastructure that includes energy storage programmes, the metals contained in lithium-ion batteries supporting these products has attracted interest from investors, institutions and manufacturers alike.
Argus is well positioned to provide insight into price volatility, global supply and responsible material sourcing for all manufacturers and investors in this sector.
Highlights of Argus battery materials coverage
- Understand the context of significant price movements and industry trends with a weekly PDF that highlights the most important market news across lithium, cobalt, graphite, nickel and other common battery materials
- Mitigate risk and perform reliable forward planning with 1-year and 10-year forecasts across different battery metals, chemistries and industries
- Gain a competitive edge with industry-specific tools, such as the Black Mass Calculator that estimates the intrinsic value of different battery chemistries (including cathodes like NCM111, NCM523, LFP, NCA)
- Invest with confidence knowing Argus is IOSCO-compliant with over 50 years of experience delivering trusted price data and market intelligence
Latest battery materials news
Browse the latest market moving news on the global battery materials industry.
Japan’s domestic EV sales extend fall in January
Japan’s domestic EV sales extend fall in January
Tokyo, 7 February (Argus) — Japanese domestic sales of passenger electric vehicles (EVs) fell for a 15th consecutive month in January, but the decrease rate has slowed. Sales totalled 4,563 units in January 2025, down by 2pc from a year earlier, according to data from three industry groups — the Automobile Dealers Association, the Japan Light Motor Vehicle and Motorcycle Association and the Japan Automobile Importers Association (JAIA). Sales were also down by 12pc on the month. Domestic EV sales continued to fall on the year but the decrease rate slowed in January, marking the first single-digit fall on the year since November 2023. EVs accounted for 1.4pc of Japan's total domestic passenger car sales in January, down by 0.2 percentage points from a year earlier. The decline is mostly because of weaker demand for domestic brand EVs including Toyota. Toyota's EV sales declined sharply to 68 units, down by 74pc from a year earlier. Foreign brand EV sales continued its uptrend, according to JAIA's representative who spoke to Argus . Sales of foreign brand passenger EVs increased by 3.6pc on the year to 1,209 units, marking the third consecutive month of year-on-year growth. But sales from China's BYD fell sharply by around 80pc on the year to 42 units, mostly on the back of delivery suspensions, JAIA added. Imported EVs accounted for around 26pc of Japan's total domestic EV sales. This was largely stable on the year, but down by 31 percentage points from a month earlier. Foreign brand manufacturers tend to increase their sales in December, according to JAIA, leading to relatively lower deliveries in January. By Yusuke Maekawa Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
US Li salts imports dropped in 2024
US Li salts imports dropped in 2024
Houston, 6 February (Argus) — The US imported 16,170 metric tonnes (t) of lithium salts in 2024, down by 11pc from the prior year, driven by inventory destocking and a slower-than-expected adoption of electric vehicles. Price declines and limited shelf-life prompted US importers to consume lower stocks, while a shift towards lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries led to a change in preference for lithium carbonate. Imports of lithium oxide and hydroxide fell by 25pc to 705 tonnes in 2024, while lithium carbonate imports decreased by 10pc to 15,465 tonnes, according to the US Census Bureau. Lithium hydroxide is primarily used in the production of high-energy-density batteries, while lithium carbonate is more commonly utilized in the manufacture of LFP batteries. Argus -assessed prices for 99.5pc grade lithium carbonate fell by 31pc over 2024, reaching $9.1-9.4/kg cif China on 31 December. Chile and Argentina accounted for 98pc of the material, supplying 9,105t and 6,779t, respectively. By Carol Luk Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Japan’s Honda, Nissan mull scrapping merger plan
Japan’s Honda, Nissan mull scrapping merger plan
Tokyo, 6 February (Argus) — Japanese car maker Honda and Nissan are considering ending merger talks, a representative of Honda told Argus today. Ending negotiations for proposed merger is among the issues the two firms are discussing, Honda's representative told Argus on 6 February, without providing further details. Honda will make an official announcement regarding the deal, including its course of action, in mid-February, according to statements released by the firm on 5 February. Nissan similarly commented that the firms are "in the stage of advancing various discussions", according to a statement the company separately released on 5 February. This includes "the contents of the report", the statement said, referring to the local news story about a possible withdrawal from the basic merger agreement with Honda. Nissan reiterated that the report is not based on any official announcement from the company. This comes only several weeks after the firms launched formal merger negotiations in late December 2024. This included setting up a joint holding company under which the current brands would operate as subsidiaries. The merger plan was partly aimed at jointly developing electric vehicles (EVs) along with studying possible areas of co-operation in developing automotive software platforms, core components relating to EVs and complementary products. Tough negotiation was anticipated from the beginning partly because of Nissan's financial struggles. Honda had suggested the merger plan could be scrapped depending on Nissan's turnaround, reiterating that the proposed merger is not aimed at alleviating Nissan's financial situation. By Yusuke Maekawa Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
German EV registrations rise on the month in January
German EV registrations rise on the month in January
London, 5 February (Argus) — New electric vehicle (EV) registrations in Germany rose on the month and on the year in January, data from motor transport authority KBA show. • New EV registrations rose by 937 units on the month to 34,498 in January, marking a 53.5pc increase on the year. Despite the rise, sales of EVs made by US carmaker Tesla declined significantly in Germany over the past year ( see graph ). • Plug-in hybrid registrations fell by 1,391 on the month to 17,712, but were up by 8.5pc on the year. • Registrations of other hybrid vehicles decreased by 11,318 from December to 59,252, but were up by 23.1pc on the year. • Gasoline-fuelled car registrations fell by 6,975 on the month to 62,358, and were down by 23.7pc from January last year. • Diesel-fuelled car registrations rose by 1,925 on the month to 32,956, but were down by 19.5pc on the year. • Average CO2 emissions fell slightly on the month to 113.6 g/km in January, down from 115.1 g/km in December. Average CO2 emissions were down 9.5pc on the year. By John Horstmann New German car registrations units Fuel Nov % of registrations ± Dec ± % Jan 2024 EVs 34,498 16.6 937 53.5 Plug-in hybrid 17,712 8.5 -1,391 23.1 Other hybrid 59,252 28.6 -11,318 13.7 Gasoline 62,358 30.0 -6,975 -23.7 Diesel 32,956 15.9 1,925 -19.5 LPG 859 0.4 -254 -54.8 Natural gas 0 0.0 0 -100.0 — KBA German monthly Tesla sales Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
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