High-Nickel Cathodes (NMC 811) Market - By Material, Battery Type, Application - Global Forecast, 2025 - 2034

High-Nickel Cathodes (NMC 811) Market Size

The global high-nickel cathodes (NMC 811) market was valued at USD 2.1 billion in 2024, with expectations to reach USD 4.2 billion by 2034, growing at a CAGR of 7.1%.
 

NMC811 high nickel cathodes (80% nickel, 10% manganese, and 10% cobalt) represent one of the most critical innovations in lithium-ion batteries because of its high energy density and thermal stability, it is widely used in electric vehicles and large energy storage systems.
 

On a wider scale, the growing demand for NMC811 cathodes has been caused by heightened electrification. The IEA International Energy Agency, in 2022 stated that lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxide of (NMC) was still the dominant battery chemistry controlling 60% of the market share and gaining. This is because of the increasing power efficiency and performance specification complexity of newer electric vehicles (EVs) NMC batteries offer considerable power density and performance attributes surpassing those offered by competing technologies.
 

The adoption of NMC811 cathodes significantly increases in parallel with the need to mitigate cobalt consumption owing to its exorbitant price and vulnerabilities in the supply chain. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) identifies cobalt as a material with high short- and medium-term supply chain risks in EVs. There is ongoing research efforts aimed at creating cathode materials with lower cobalt content without sacrificing performance.

Technological developments in battery production also paved the way for the adoption of high-nickel cathodes. Advances in material processing and cell design have made it possible to produce batteries with increased energy density and better thermal stability. These developments are vital for the attainment of next-generation EVs and energy storage requirements.
 

High-Nickel Cathodes (NMC 811) Market Trends

• Shift towards cobalt-free cathodes: Institutions like Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) are devising cobalt-free cathodes, for example, nickel-iron-aluminium (NFA) compositions that seek to eliminate cobalt as a core component due to its expensive cost and supply chain risks.
   
• Advancements in recycling technologies: The European Union's 2023 Battery Regulation requires higher recycling efficiencies which challenges manufacturers to invent new recycling methods for high-nickel cathodes. Companies such as Umicore are starting to develop specific techniques to ethically reclaim materials from NMC811 batteries, propelling environmental stewardship alongside efficient material recovery.
   
• Increased government funding for battery manufacturing: The United States Department of Energy has issued over USD 3 billion in grants to enhance domestic battery manufacturing, increasing investment on acquiring technologies associated with advanced batteries, including those containing high-nickel, and sought to minimize foreign dependency.
   
• Emergence of alternative battery chemistries: New types of batteries, including lithium-sulfur, are being developed to address the shortcomings of lithium-ion batteries. With plans to construct new factories, companies like Lyten are preparing to commercialize large-scale lithium-sulfur batteries, which stand to forgo the use of nickel and cobalt and thus influence the market demand for NMC811 cathodes.
   

High-Nickel Cathodes (NMC 811) Market Analysis

The High-nickel cathodes (NMC 811) industry by form is segmented into powder, granules and others. Powder accounted for 60.2% of the market share in 2024.
 

• The high-nickel cathodes market (NMC811) is dominated by the powder form because of its greater surface area which increases lithium-ion diffusion and improves electrochemical performance. 
   
• The form is preferred in cell manufacturing of electric vehicles and energy storage systems because it offers better packing density as well as consistent particle morphology. 
   
• With global gigafactories push towards mass battery production, the adaptiveness of powdered cathode materials to automated production lines makes them suitable for large-scale production. 
   
• Moreover, the ability of the powder to withstand advanced sintering and coating aimed at decreasing cycle life and degradation makes it the preferred form for next-gen lithium-ion batteries.
   

Based on battery type, the high-nickel cathodes (NMC 811) market is segmented into cylindrical cells, prismatic cells and pouch cells. Cylindrical cells made up 38.7% of the market in 2024.
 

• Cylindrical cells have been receiving the most attention due to these cells having the highest mechanical stability, standardized design, and scalability for automated mass production. 
   
• With the aid of high-nickel cathodes, these cells can be used in electric vehicles as well as power tools parallel with better energy density and thermal control. 
   
• Easy handling during module assembly, coupled with high endurance to internal pressure, increases application performance greatly, making them more suitable for advanced technologies. 
   

Based on application, the high-nickel cathodes (NMC 811) market is segmented into electric vehicles, energy storage systems, consumer electronics, power tools, E-bikes and E-scooters, medical devices, aerospace and defense and others. Electric vehicles hold the dominant position the market in 2024.

• The application sector for NMC811 cathodes is topped by electric vehicles considering the fact that they have a single driving range and high energy density requirements.
   
• NMC811 is targeted by automakers shifting to higher nickel chemistries due to lower cobalt content, which is favourable for sustainability of the cobalt global supply chain.
   
• Electric vehicle battery technologies are stated by the Office of Vehicle Technologies of the Energy Department to be rapidly evolving focusing mainly on improvement of energy density. Adoption of EV’s in US, EU and China and associated incentives accelerates innovations in batteries that use NMC811.
   
• The use of NMC811 in EVs with high performance and safety requirements reinforces its adoption due to enhanced lifecycle and thermal performance.
   

U.S. high-nickel cathodes (NMC 811) market is accounted for USD 441.2 million in 2024.
 

• The North American NMC811 market is dominated by the U.S. because of significant federal spending on the domestic battery supply chain and EV infrastructure through the Inflation Reduction Act and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
   
• The NMC811 cell performance range and operational expectations drive widespread commercial adoption by U.S.-based EV manufacturers, such as Tesla and GM.
   
• The enveloping battery gigafactories, most of which are federally funded, also accelerate the implementation of high nickel cathodes in the region’s manufacturing supply chains.
   
• Continuous user assessment of electric automobiles boosts the incorporation of NMC811s in the U.S. due to the increasing focus on sustainable battery material sourcing and extended travel range. Support for American-made super-performance EVs strengthens consumption in the U.S. of high nickel low emission cathodes in parallel with eco-friendly energy dependence.
   

High-Nickel Cathodes (NMC 811) Market Share

The high-nickel cathodes (NMC811) market is moderately concentrated since important competitors like Contemporary Amperex Technology, LG Chem, Ecopro BM, L&F Co and Ningbo Ronbay New Energy Technology compete for market share in NMC811 production capacity and technology sophistication. Strategic focus is placed on increasing grade targets for thermal stability, cobalt reduction, and meeting OEMs’ specifications for EV batteries for the next generation. Firms are also increasing or contracting partnerships to control the supply of materials and ensure competitive reproducible standards of precision engineered products.
 

High-Nickel Cathodes (NMC 811) Market Companies

Contemporary Amperex Technology (CATL): With regard to electric vehicles’ exceptional challenges, CATL focuses on increasing thermal stabilization alongside energy-dense yield, constructing strategic partnerships with global OEMs for the integration of high-nickel cathodes into next-gen batteries. CATL is also known to lead the CATL market as the largest producer of NMC811 lithium batteries.
 

LG Chem: On the other side of the spectrum that marks a competitor of CATL, LG Chem services EV batteries by acquiring raw materials and increasing structures of production for fortified yield under supportive safety thresholds and prolonged-range servicing. Their primary focus in business is the cyclic lifespan and structural integrity of NMC811 cathodes.
 

Ecopro BM: Involved with the Industry of TES (Thermal Energy Storage), Ecopro BM specializes in meeting the standards of thermal cycling optimization by doing party innovational processing. Their ongoing goal of increase manufacturing-output is managed within the goal of meeting the demand of energy storage and EV.
 

L&F Co: High-throughput production investments are served by L&F Co as scalable supply enablers. Concentrating on energy-heft targets within EV batteries responsive NMC811 cathodes, company aims at the efficient-synthesis fulfilment alongside consistent quality standard.
 

Ningbo Ronbay New Energy Technology: Alongside the advancements in cost-efficient yield of NMC811 cathodes, the company refines the surface coating and doping techniques to enhance durability and cyclic longevity and thus, supporting the escalation in yield for growing demand electric mobility battery.
 

High-Nickel Cathodes (NMC 811) Industry News

• Sept 2020 – 6K Energy declared the achievement of developing NMC 811 particles of 1 – 3 microns in size using its UniMelt plasma platform with single crystal charge and power capabilities which significantly improved ‘run time’ along with ‘charge time’ and ‘power’ production.
   
• Apr 2022 – Umicore declared that it had entered a long-term contract with ACC to supply high nickel cathode materials sourced from their facility in Nysa, Poland for battery plants in France, Germany, and Italy, commencing with 13 GWh of annual offtake.
   
• June 2023 - LG Chem announced mass production of single crystal high nickel cathodes started at their Cheongju plant on June 26, claiming to be the first in Korea to do so. They intend to increase battery lifespan above 30% and capacity over 10%.
   

The high-nickel cathodes (NMC 811) market research report includes an in-depth coverage of the industry with estimates and forecast in terms of revenue in USD Billion and volume in terms of Kilo Tons from 2021–2034 for the following segments:

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Market, By Form

• Powder
• Granules
• Others

Market, By Battery Type

• Cylindrical cells
• Prismatic cells
• Pouch cells

Market, By Application

• Electric vehicles
  • Battery electric vehicles
  • Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles
  • Hybrid electric vehicles
  • Commercial electric vehicles
• Energy storage systems 
  • Utility-scale storage
  • Residential storage
  • Commercial & industrial storage
• Consumer electronics
  • Smartphones
  • Laptops and tablets
  • Wearable devices
  • Others
• Power tools
• E-bikes and E-scooters
• Medical devices
• Aerospace and defense
• Others

The above information is provided for the following regions and countries:

• North America 
  • U.S.
  • Canada
• Europe 
  • Germany
  • UK
  • France
  • Spain
  • Italy
• Asia Pacific 
  • China
  • India
  • Japan
  • Australia
  • South Korea
• Latin America 
  • Brazil
  • Mexico
  • Argentina
• Middle East and Africa 
  • Saudi Arabia
  • South Africa
  • UAE