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
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Japan to boost recycled materials supply
Japan to boost recycled materials supply
Tokyo, 21 April (Argus) — The Japanese government has adopted a circular economy action plan to strengthen recycling of critical minerals, metals and plastics, aiming to expand domestic supply of recycled materials and reduce reliance on overseas resources, it announced today. The plan targets around ¥1 trillion ($7bn) in combined public and private investment by 2030, as Tokyo seeks to enhance economic security and industrial competitiveness. The government positions the shift to a circular economy as an urgent national priority that goes beyond environmental protection. In the metals sector, the plan sets targets for recycled material supply by 2030. It aims for recycled aluminium to account for around 40pc of domestic production of rolled aluminium products. Recycled sources are expected to make up about 30pc of domestically produced electrolytic copper, while around 30pc of materials used in rare earth-based permanent magnets will be supplied through recycling. For steel, the government will expand the availability of high-grade scrap used as feedstock for "green steel", which is produced with lower greenhouse gas emissions. Processing capacity to produce such high-quality scrap will be increased by around 2mn t/yr, while collection of scrap and industrial offcuts will also be strengthened. In plastics, Japan will promote the use of recycled materials to reduce dependence on imported feedstocks such as crude oil and naphtha. The government will require manufacturers to formulate and report usage plans, and will consider phased mandates on recycled content by the 2028 fiscal year. The plan also calls for strengthening recycling infrastructure, including investment in facilities and the development of AI-based sorting technologies to improve quality and reduce costs. It includes support for recycling hubs, networks, and processing, storage and smelting capacity. The move comes on the back of intensifying global competition for resources. Countries are increasingly seeking to secure not only primary resources but also recycled materials. China has tightened export controls on critical minerals while strengthening domestic recycling, and the EU has introduced stricter rules on exports of electronic scrap and expanded the use of recycled plastics. In rare earth supply chains, export controls by certain countries have raised concerns over supply stability, prompting Japan to accelerate efforts to secure domestic resources. The government will incorporate the plan into its upcoming growth strategy and basic policy on economic and fiscal management to be released this summer. By Fumito Nagase Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Mexico EV sales rise 22pc in 1Q
Mexico EV sales rise 22pc in 1Q
Mexico City, 17 April (Argus) — Electric vehicle (EV) sales in Mexico rose by 22pc year-on-year to 25,003 units in the first quarter, according to EV industry group EMA, though the slowing expansion seen late last year extended into early 2026. Sales grew from 20,560 units a year earlier, but were 27pc below the 28,315 units sold in the fourth quarter of 2025. Despite remaining in double-digit territory, Mexico's EV market, like others in Latin America, is beginning to cool as it moves beyond early adopters. EMA head Eugenio Grandio cited "challenges, volatility and uncertainty caused by geopolitical and trade conflicts." But "the reality that more and more Mexicans are adopting vehicles with new technologies is undeniable," Grandio added. The figures include battery electric vehicles (BEV), plug-in hybrids (PHEV) and range-extended electric vehicles (REEV). By category, PHEV sales led growth, rising by 31pc from a year earlier to 14,617 units in the first quarter, though this was 4pc fewer units than sold in the fourth quarter of 2025. BEV sales rose by 10pc to 10,340 units but fell by 32pc from the previous quarter. REEV sales totaled 46 units in the first quarter. This compares with 167 units in the fourth quarter of 2025 and 427 units for full-year 2025. Charging infrastructure expanded alongside sales. EMA reported the public charging network grew by 25pc in the first quarter from a year prior, with 4,378 slots installed, and charging centers expanding by 19pc to 1,663 nationwide. Residential charging sites grew by 21pc to 44,042 installations in the first quarter, while corporate operated slots rose by 56pc to 9,291 and slots operated by agencies grew by 90pc to 1,891. EMA added that fast-charging locations expanded by 14pc from the first quarter of 2025, with the number of slots rising by nearly 25pc. By James Young Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Canada ZEV sales up by 47pc in Feb
Canada ZEV sales up by 47pc in Feb
Houston, 17 April (Argus) — Sales of zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs) in Canada totaled more than 12,600 in February, up by 47pc from a year earlier after the start of federal incentives, according to Statistics Canada. ZEVs are motor vehicles that are able to run without producing tailpipe emissions, and include battery and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. New ZEVs accounted for 10pc of total new motor vehicle sales in February, compared with 7pc in the same month a year earlier, the data show. Canada launched the federal Electric Vehicle Affordability Programme (EVAP) on 16 February, providing consumers with incentives to buy or lease affordable EVs with a final price of C$50,000 ($36,570) or less. Battery and fuel-cell EVs qualify for incentives of up to C$5,000, while plug-in hybrid EVs qualify for up to C$2,500. The EVAP programme received C$2.3bn in funding over five years. Eligible EVs must be made in Canada or in countries with free trade agreements with Canada to qualify. By Carol Luk Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
China's CATL, Jianlong to scale truck electrification
China's CATL, Jianlong to scale truck electrification
Beijing, 13 April (Argus) — China's largest battery manufacturer CATL and private-sector steel group Jianlong signed a strategic co-operation agreement on 10 April, aimed at accelerating the decarbonisation of steelmaking and mining through greater electrification and renewable energy deployment. Under the agreement, the two companies will co-operate across areas including the electrification of steel industry operations, development of green and intelligent mines, and the electrification of logistics. They plan to deploy more than 3,000 electric heavy trucks during China's 15th five-year plan period (2026-30), roll out battery-swapping infrastructure along at least 16 logistics hub routes, and build and operate 100 battery-swapping stations. The partnership will also advance the development of centralised and distributed wind and solar projects, using Jianlong's industrial parks as pilot sites. The two sides aim to build a full-chain, zero-carbon model covering mining, transportation, energy and materials, creating a replicable template for industrial decarbonisation, CATL said. CATL and Jianlong said the initiative is intended to demonstrate integrated pathways for emissions reduction in heavy industry and logistics, supporting China's broader push to reduce industrial carbon intensity while promoting the large-scale adoption of electric heavy vehicles. CATL in November 2024 released its Tianxing series batteries used in heavy commercial vehicles. CATL's Tianxing heavy commercial vehicle ultra-fast-charging battery allows vehicles to replenish 70pc of energy within 15 minutes. The battery also offers an ultra-long lifespan of up to 1.2mn km, a maximum capacity of 600kWh, and a driving range of up to 500km. In short-haul applications such as mining transport and construction material mixing, the technology can significantly reduce charging time for electric heavy trucks, it said. China's new-energy heavy truck market maintained rapid growth in the first two months of 2026, extending last year's expansion and reinforcing pressure on the country's diesel demand just as domestic diesel prices surged in March. The country's sales of such trucks reached 233,200 units in 2025, almost tripling on the year, according to Chinese research institute EV Tank. Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
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