A briefing on battery regulation, China's supply chain, and prices, for the people who buy and deploy the cells.
The Section 301 wall on non-EV Chinese cells is up. Effective 1 January 2026, the US Section 301 tariff on non-EV lithium-ion batteries from China jumped from 7.5% to 25%, and natural graphite went from 0% to 25% — the EV lithium-ion rate had already hit 25% back in 2024. Stationary-storage cells no longer sit at the lower rate.
EU harmonised labels apply from 18 August, format spec or not. The harmonised labelling obligations under Article 13 of Regulation 2023/1542 apply from 18 August 2026 — about three weeks out — requiring a printed label carrying manufacturer, chemistry, capacity, weight and manufacturing date, even though the implementing act that fixes the exact format is still a draft (consultation closed 26 January 2026).
GB 38031-2025: know the two tests to demand in the report. China's mandatory EV traction-battery standard took effect 1 July 2026. It hardens thermal runaway from a 5-minute occupant-warning window to a flat "no fire, no explosion" requirement, and adds two mandatory tests GB 38031-2020 did not have: a cell-level fast-charge durability test (300 cycles of 15-minute 20–80% SOC charging, then an external short-circuit, clause 8.1.8) and a pack-level bottom-impact test (a 10 kg / 30 mm steel striker at 150 J on three risk points, clause 8.2.16).
A European standard now governs second-life repair. EN 18061:2025, published by CEN-CENELEC on 16 September 2025, sets the steps, conditions and protocols for safely repairing, reusing and preparing EV battery modules and packs for repurposing, developed by CEN/TC 301 and aligned to the Battery Regulation.
| Date | Regulatory milestone | Status |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Jan 2026 | US Section 301 on non-EV Li-ion + natural graphite → 25% | In force |
| 1 Jul 2026 | China GB 38031-2025 EV battery safety standard | In force |
| 18 Aug 2026 | EU harmonised labelling obligations apply (Art. 13) | Format implementing act still draft |
| 18 Feb 2027 | EU digital battery passport mandatory (>2 kWh) | JTC 24 standards still slipping |
CATL's sodium BESS: don't read the cell specs off the system launch. CATL's purpose-built TENER Sodium storage system moves in modules of 30 MWh and up (roughly 42 tonnes each) across 1-to-8-hour durations, with China shipments from September 2026 and global from June 2027. The buyer trap: the eye-catching sodium numbers making the rounds — 300+ Ah cells, ~160–175 Wh/kg, a −40 °C to 70 °C range — come from CATL's separate Naxtra cell announcement, not the TENER Sodium system, which itself claims up to 15,000 cycles at 25 °C and a ~2% round-trip-efficiency gain.
CALB brings two long-life cells to Munich. At Intersolar/EES Europe 2026 (23–25 June), CALB showed its ZHIJIU range: a 661 Ah laminated (stacked) cell rated up to 15,000 cycles and up to 25-year calendar life, a 588 Ah wound long-cycle cell, and a second-generation 6.25 MWh liquid-cooled container claiming about 25% more energy and roughly 40% fewer system components.
China's cell exports are surging, not just its installations. The headline this month is exports: China shipped 36.2 GWh of batteries in June 2026, up 48.7% year on year — 25.5 GWh power cells and 10.7 GWh storage cells — bringing H1 exports to 181.3 GWh (+42.5%). Domestic installations held their shape, with LFP still about 83% of June volume (charted below).
| Vendor | What | Key numbers | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| CALB | ZHIJIU 661Ah stacked + 588Ah wound long-life cells; 2nd-gen 6.25 MWh container | up to 15,000 cycles · up to 25-yr life · ~25% more energy, ~40% fewer parts | Intersolar Europe, 23–25 Jun 2026 |
| CATL | TENER Sodium purpose-built sodium-ion BESS | 30 MWh+ modules (~42 t) · 1–8 h · up to 15,000 cycles @25°C | CN Sep 2026 · global Jun 2027 |
June installations up 31.5% YoY; June battery exports 36.2 GWh (+48.7% YoY), H1 exports 181.3 GWh (+42.5%). CABIA
Now we know who bid what in that $47/kWh tender. The CEEC 7 GWh floor price our June issue flagged now has names attached: the 7 May 2026 shortlist runs from Rongjie's $47.00/kWh to EVE's $55.86/kWh on the same 5 GWh package of ≥314 Ah prismatic LFP cells — a 19% spread between suppliers quoting identical specs — while the separate 2 GWh ≥500 Ah package bottomed at $50.98/kWh.
| Bidder | Package | Cell price |
|---|---|---|
| Rongjie Energy | 5 GWh · ≥314 Ah LFP | $47.00/kWh |
| Shuangdeng | 5 GWh · ≥314 Ah LFP | $48.73/kWh |
| Pengcheng Infinite | 2 GWh · ≥500 Ah LFP | $50.98/kWh |
| Desay / CALB | 5 GWh · ≥314 Ah LFP | $51.77/kWh |
| EVE | 5 GWh · ≥314 Ah LFP | $55.86/kWh |
Standing cost context (unchanged since our last issue): H1 spot range high 177,000 → late-June ≈160,000. Dashed line: H1 spot-range low 149,600. SMM
Bid spread across shortlisted bidders (not a time series). ≥314 Ah LFP except *=2 GWh ≥500 Ah package ($50.98). Low bid $47.00, top $55.86. ESS News
Check what actually arrived before you sign off the batch. The traceability code printed on a Chinese-made cell can only be read once the goods are in your hands. When a delivery lands, paste a code into the decoder: it returns the manufacturer, chemistry, spec and exact production date in seconds, enough to catch relabeled or aged stock at incoming inspection before you accept goods receipt.
Paste any code from a Chinese-made cell. The decoder reads the maker, the spec and the true factory date. Full tool at batterydays.com.
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