Market data Li carbonate (GFEX)104,740 CNY/t▼ 11.8% d/d12 Oct Grid-scale BESS installed, Sep20.4 GWh▲ 61% y/y15 Oct Germany storage added, Jan–Sep8.2 GWh▲ 91% y/y30 Sep Lithium144,779 $/t▼ 2.6% m/mSep 2026 avg Nickel16,324 $/t▼ 2.5% m/mSep 2026 avg Cobalt42,213 $/t▼ 24.4% m/mSep 2026 avg Manganese2,782 $/t▼ 3.9% m/mSep 2026 avg Latest published figures · click for source

Lithium iron phosphate (LFP)

The cheapest and most widely deployed lithium-ion chemistry: cobalt- and nickel-free, robust and long-lived, with lower energy density than nickel-based cells.

LFP cells use an iron-phosphate cathode instead of nickel and cobalt. In 2025 LFP made up over 55% of EV batteries deployed worldwide, up from nearly 50% a year earlier – but deployment is heavily concentrated in China.1

In the EU, LFP accounted for just above 10% of EV battery demand in 2025, and nearly all of it was imported from China.1 Its price advantage is large: across all segments, LFP packs averaged $81/kWh in 2025 against $128/kWh for NMC.2

Key figures

Cell energy density
up to 205 Wh/kg1
Average pack price, all segments (2025)
$81/kWh2
Share of global EV batteries (2025)
over 55%1
Share of EU EV battery demand (2025)
just above 10%1
Example – stationary cycle life (CATL Tener)
more than 15,000 cycles, 6.25 MWh per 20-ft container3

Strengths

  • Lowest pack cost of the mainstream chemistries2
  • No nickel or cobalt in the cathode
  • Very long cycle life in storage products3

Limitations

  • Lower energy density than NMC (205 vs 265 Wh/kg upper range)1
  • European supply depends almost entirely on imports from China1

Vehicles using LFP

ModelTypeBuilt inBatteryChemistry / cellsChargingRange
Ikarus 120e4 Buses & coaches – 422 kWh LFP, CATL cells pantograph optional 380 km
Mercedes-Benz eActros 6005 Trucks & vans – 621 kWh (3 packs) LFP CCS up to 400 kW; MCS up to 1 MW 500 km
Mercedes-Benz eSprinter (3rd gen)6 Trucks & vans Düsseldorf, Germany 56 / 81 / 113 kWh LFP up to 115 kW DC; to 80% in 28–42 min about 400 km WLTP (113 kWh)

From our E-mobility database.

In Central & Eastern Europe

In our directory, ElevenEs (Serbia) is developing LFP cell production and Rimac Energy (Croatia) builds the LFP-based SineStack storage system.

ElevenEsCell manufacturerRimac EnergyBESS integrator

Sources

  1. Global EV Outlook 2026 – Electric vehicle batteries – IEA, 2026
  2. Lithium-ion battery pack prices fall to $108 per kilowatt-hour – BloombergNEF, 9 Dec 2025
  3. CATL launches Tener energy storage system with 5-year 0-attenuation – CnEVPost, 10 Apr 2024
  4. Ikarus technical data sheets (120e, 80e) – Ikarus, Oct 2023
  5. Mercedes-Benz eActros 600 truck unveiled with massive LFP battery – InsideEVs, 12 Oct 2023
  6. Mercedes launches new-gen eSprinter with up to 400 km range – New Mobility, 9 Feb 2023