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The Lithium Takeover: How Battery Giants Are Reshaping the Electric Two-Wheeler Market
In 2025, the global electric two-wheeler battery market is undergoing a historic transformation. Once the dominant choice, lead-acid batteries are rapidly being phased out under the combined pressures of policy, technology, and market forces.
Meanwhile, battery giants such as BYD, CATL, and Gotion High-Tech are turning their attention from electric cars to the massive market of e-bikes, delivery scooters, and shared mobility vehicles,
explore the top 10 electric delivery motorcycle brands in China. Through technology transfer and standard setting, these companies are launching a “dimensional reduction attack” on lead-acid batteries.
This revolution is not only reshaping the competitive landscape of the battery industry but also redefining the future of over 300 million electric two-wheelers worldwide.
Battery Giants Enter the Market: From Cars to Two-Wheelers
In May 2025, BYD officially launched its “Blade Battery” series, designed specifically for two-wheeled electric vehicles. The first batch of eight lithium iron phosphate batteries has already been installed in mainstream brands such as Xinri and Tailing. This is no accident. As early as 2024, BYD launched 32 battery models specifically for two-wheeled vehicles, marking its official entry into this market segment, which is experiencing annual growth exceeding 30% and boasts a global market value exceeding $25 billion.
Following closely, Guoxuan High-tech, the third-ranked manufacturer of new energy vehicle power batteries, also announced its entry into the small power battery market. Its products cover a capacity range of 0.25 to 20 kWh and are widely used in electric bicycles, food delivery e-bikes, shared electric motorcycles, and even light motorcycles.
CATL, on the other hand, entered the market even earlier. Its subsidiary, Xinneng’an, is deeply embedded in the supply chains of leading brands like Yadea and Ninebot, and has participated in the development of national standards for lithium-ion batteries for two-wheeled vehicles.
The entry of these giants is not simply a matter of “overcapacity,” but rather a precise assessment of market trends: China has over 300 million electric two-wheeled vehicles, the vast majority of which still use lead-acid batteries. With the implementation of new national standards, tightening environmental protection policies, and increasing user demands for range and safety, the replacement of lithium batteries has become an irreversible trend.
According to industry data, lithium battery penetration in the two-wheeled vehicle market reached 45% in 2024 and is expected to exceed 60% in 2025. This means a “battery replacement” wave, worth hundreds of billions of yuan, is sweeping the entire industry.
The Decline of Lead-Acid: Policy, Cost, and Environmental Pressure
Lead acid battery vs lithium ion, lead-acid batteries once dominated due to their low cost and mature technology, but their advantages are disappearing.
Policy Pressure
China’s “New National Standard” explicitly stipulates that the vehicle weight must not exceed 55kg, directly eliminating over 80% of lead-acid models. Meanwhile, the EU Battery Regulation (2025) also imposes a 20% environmental tax on lead-containing products, raising export costs significantly.
Cost Convergence
While lead-acid batteries used to cost just one-third as much per kWh as lithium, CTP (cell-to-pack) technology has driven lithium pack costs down to ¥750/kWh in 2025, narrowing the gap to just 1.3x. With longer life cycles and lower maintenance, lithium’s lifetime cost is now 42% lower than lead-acid.
Environmental Concerns
Lead-acid batteries contain large amounts of the heavy metal lead. If the discarded batteries are not properly handled each year, they will cause serious soil and water pollution. If all 300 million lead-acid electric vehicles are fully converted to lithium-ion batteries, lead pollution could be reduced by approximately 500,000 tons annually. Under the “dual carbon” goals, this environmental advantage has become a key basis for policymakers to promote lithium-ion battery replacement.
Traditional lead-acid leaders now face a triple crisis: technological lag, cost disadvantage, and policy constraints, forcing urgent transformation.
Lithium Batteries Rise: Safety, Lifespan, and Performance Revolution
EV battery giants bring not only capacity but also automotive-grade technology, addressing three major pain points in two-wheeler batteries.
Safety Upgrade
Extended Lifespan
Lead-acid batteries last 300–500 cycles (1–2 years), while LFP lithium batteries reach 2000–3000 cycles (8–12 years)—often longer than the two-wheeler’s lifespan. Users can now expect “one battery for life”, reducing replacement hassle and cost.
Higher Range & Faster Charging
Business Model Innovation: From Products to Services
Industry giants are no longer just selling batteries — they are reshaping the entire business model.
BYD, leveraging its nationwide network of over 3,300 automotive dealerships, has introduced a battery leasing + trade-in program, offering dealers rebates as high as 8%, far exceeding traditional lead-acid channel margins.
CATL, on the other hand, has partnered with Hello Chuxing to deploy a battery swapping cabinet network (exploring TYCORUN 12 slots battery swapping cabinet). Each cabinet achieves an average of 6+ daily rotations, adopting a shared battery model that significantly lowers users’ initial investment barriers.
More importantly, these new-generation lithium batteries are equipped with cloud-based BMS systems, enabling real-time monitoring, predictive maintenance, and even anti-theft tracking.
This data-driven service capability enhances product value by 15–20% and builds a data moat that traditional battery manufacturers find difficult to replicate.
Going Global: Technology and Standards Export
Chinese battery giants are now replicating this model worldwide.
This dual strategy of technology and standard export not only enables Chinese enterprises to capture overseas two-wheeler lithium battery markets, but also compresses the survival space of lead-acid batteries globally — forming a closed-loop ecosystem that spans from manufacturing to rule-making.
Conclusion
This cross-industry entry by EV battery giants is not a simple capacity shift—it’s a technological and structural revolution. With clear advantages in safety, lifespan, performance, and business innovation, the phase-out of lead-acid batteries is inevitable. The future of electric two-wheelers is smart, long-lasting, and green.
For consumers, it means safer, more efficient mobility; for the industry, a complete reshuffle and upgrade; and for the planet, a significant reduction in heavy metal pollution. 2025 marks the first year of the full-scale lithiumization of the electric two-wheeler industry.