NielsenIQ Report: Overseas Consumers Mention Chinese Battery Brands Several Times More Than Japanese and Korean Brands

March 2026 — NielsenIQ has released its 2026 Global New Energy Vehicle Consumer Research Report, revealing striking shifts in consumer brand awareness for EV batteries.

Global Unaided Brand Recall

In overseas markets, when consumers were asked to name a battery brand without prompting:

• CATL: 26.7%
• BYD: 14.0%
• LG Energy Solution (LGES): 12.6%
• Panasonic: 8.7%
• Samsung SDI: 5.4%
• SK ON: 4.8%

This means overseas consumers now recall Chinese battery brands at rates several times higher than their Japanese and Korean counterparts.

In the Chinese domestic market:

• CATL: 40.9%
• BYD: 25.3%

Together, these two brands account for nearly 70% of consumer mindshare.

Expert Reaction

Gao Zhikai, Vice Director of the Center for China and Globalization (CCG), shared his reflections on Weibo on March 21:

"I calculated these numbers twice. Not because I don't believe them, but because I dare not easily believe them. Who is Panasonic? It was the brand that, when I was young, every household wanted but dared not admit to wanting. Today, in the hearts of consumers worldwide, Panasonic—along with two other Japanese and Korean giants—combined still weighs less than a single Chinese brand. This is not just about winning or losing a race; it is the sound of an era turning. I spent years at the United Nations and on Wall Street, and I have seen all kinds of brands spend heavily on advertising, endorsements, and storytelling. But when people vote with their hard-earned money, they never recognize the loudest voice—they recognize real quality."

Battery Safety and Purchase Decisions

Another set of data from the report also drew Gao's attention:

• Over 80% of global consumers believe that the battery directly determines whether an EV is safe.
• 79% of consumers are more willing to pay for a vehicle equipped with a recognized high-quality battery.
• In China, 37.1% of consumers stated bluntly: if their preferred car model does not come with a CATL battery, they would rather not buy it.

Brand Trust

The report attributes this "buy-it-or-nothing" loyalty to brand trust:

• In China: CATL's brand trust rating reaches 81%, with 39% of consumers saying they "strongly trust" the brand.
• In overseas markets: 38% of respondents "strongly trust" CATL, compared to 27% for LGES and 24% for BYD.

Market Landscape

From a consumer perception perspective, the global power battery market has formed a three-way structure: CATL, LGES, and Panasonic. In the domestic Chinese market, CATL continues to lead, with BYD following closely.

Strategic Deployment in Henan Province

Leading battery brands popular among Henan consumers have made deep inroads into the region:

CATL's Luoyang Base

As one of CATL's 13 global production bases, the Luoyang Base is being built to dual high standards: "Lighthouse Factory" and "Zero-Carbon Factory." Once fully operational, it is expected to drive strong upstream and downstream industrial clustering, with an estimated annual output value exceeding RMB 100 billion.

Recently, CATL signed strategic cooperation agreements with five key provincial state-owned enterprises in Henan: Henan Iron & Steel Group, Henan Water Investment Group, Henan Capital Group, Henan International Group, and Super Fusion Digital Technology. The partnerships will focus on six core areas, including new energy, new energy storage, zero-carbon industry, and computing-storage integration. The parties will also work together to accelerate the upgrade of CATL's Luoyang Base.

BYD's Zhengzhou Base

At the Zhengzhou BYD base, a new vehicle rolls off the production line every 50 seconds. On the shop floor, the BYD blade battery packaging line produces one power battery cell every three seconds. This core BYD technology enhances both battery safety and vehicle range. Combined with an assembly line automation rate of 98%, every new energy vehicle produced here achieves both quality and efficiency.

New Quality Productivity in Henan

New quality productivity, represented by automotive lithium batteries, is also accelerating in Henan. According to data from the Henan Provincial Bureau of Statistics:

• In Q1, the combined export delivery value of the computer, communications, and other electronic equipment manufacturing sector and the automotive manufacturing sector accounted for 78.5% of the total, growing 13.4% and 96.1% year-on-year, respectively.
• Lithium-ion battery production in the province grew 95.7%, with automotive lithium-ion power batteries surging 155.8%.

Conclusion

Brand trust is now translating into tangible industrial supply in Henan. Relying on reliable safety quality, technological innovation, and global布局, Chinese power battery companies represented by CATL are reshaping the global competitive landscape of the industry and continuously demonstrating the strength of China's intelligent manufacturing.