German battery production reaches record high in 2025, lobby says

June 16 (Reuters) - Production of batteries in Germany reached a record high in 2025, trade group ZVEI said on Tuesday, driven by electric mobility and energy storage markets.

• Battery production increased 11% to €8.1 billion ($9.40 billion) from a low point in 2024

• Output of lithium-ion batteries used in e-mobility rose by nearly a third (+28%) to €4.6 billion

• Rapid growth of electric mobility and high demand in the energy storage market were key drivers

• ZVEI expects both trends to support further growth in the market this year

• Market volumes, describing production plus imports minus exports, grew 9% on the year to €22.4 billion, inching closer to the level of record year 2023, when they stood at €24.3 billion

• "The supply of batteries is not currently at risk, but the competitiveness and resilience of the battery ecosystem in Germany and Europe certainly are," said Christian Rosenkranz, chairman of the ZVEI battery section

• He called for reducing dependence on others and strengthening competitiveness through investment incentives, as well as more practical trade policy tools against unfair trade and subsidy practices

• In terms of imports, China remains the main supplier of batteries to Germany, with a volume of around €11 billion in 2025 (+25%) - "a trend that has been on the rise for years"

• Particularly for lithium-ion batteries, Europe is highly dependent on Asian supply chains, the statement said

($1 = 0.8615 euros)

(Reporting by Ersen Hakan, writing by Linda Pasquini, editing by Friederike Heine)