SMM April 28: Dealers in Jiangsu reported that replacement demand in the e-bike lead-acid battery market was sluggish, battery inventory was digesting slowly, and raw material costs such as lead ingots stayed high. The customary sales promotions in the battery market had yet to materialize, with the current wholesale price of the mainstream model 48V12Ah maintained at 280-300 yuan/set. Manufacturers in Zhejiang reported that demand in the e-bike lead-acid battery market was weak, dealers were cautious in procurement, and with the Labour Day holiday approaching, factories plan to shut down for 5 days. In addition, they plan to hold off on additional stockpiling of raw material lead before the holiday. Manufacturers in Shandong reported that the e-bike lead-acid battery market was in the off-season, with poor finished product orders. To avoid inventory buildup, factories maintained operating rates at 50-60%, and raw material lead was purchased only through just-in-time procurement.

SMM April 27 news: Dealers in Hunan reported that end-use consumption in the automotive storage battery market remained sluggish, with retailers purchasing cautiously. Current battery inventories exceeded one and a half months. In addition, battery selling prices remained unchanged for the time being, with the main model 6-QW-45Ah priced at 160-180 yuan/unit. Manufacturers in Anhui reported that domestic demand in the automotive storage battery market was mediocre. Coupled with obstructed battery exports, factories reduced their operating rates to 70-80% to ease finished product inventory pressure, and made just-in-time procurement of raw material lead only. Manufacturers in Hebei reported that the off-season trend in the automotive storage battery replacement market intensified, with OEM orders for complete vehicles also weakening. Factory operating rates had dropped to around 80%, and raw material lead procurement was mainly based on long-term contracts, with no need for additional spot orders.

SMM, April 16: Dealers in Hunan reported that end-use consumption in the e-bike lead-acid battery market remained sluggish, with retailers purchasing cautiously. Current battery inventory stood at approximately one month. There were no signs of sales promotions in the battery wholesale market, with the mainstream model 48V20Ah priced at 380-400 yuan/set. Manufacturers in Jiangxi reported that the e-bike lead-acid battery market was in the off-season, with finished product orders continuing to weaken and battery inventory accumulating. Factory operating rates had dropped to 60-70%. Additionally, lead prices surged significantly today, and raw material lead procurement remained on the sidelines. Manufacturers in Jiangsu reported that e-bike replacement demand was weakening, while OEM orders for complete vehicles were moderate. Factory operating rates were maintained at around 90%, with raw material lead procurement primarily through long-term contracts.

SMM April 15 News: Dealers in Hubei reported that end-use consumption in the automotive storage battery market remained sluggish, and battery inventory digestion was slow. Currently, battery inventory exceeded one and a half months. In addition, selling prices in the battery wholesale market remained unchanged for the time being, with the main model 6-QW-45Ah priced at 180-200 yuan/unit. Manufacturers in Zhejiang reported that replacement demand in the automotive storage battery market was weak, and dealers were cautious in purchasing. To avoid further inventory buildup, the factory operating rate was approximately 80%. In addition, raw material lead was procured through long-term contracts. Manufacturers in Guangdong reported that the automotive storage battery market was in the off-season. Domestic sales of batteries were mediocre, and coupled with obstructed battery exports, the factory operating rate was currently around 70%, with raw material lead purchased as needed.

SMM April 13: Dealers in Jiangsu reported that replacement demand in the electric storage battery market remained weak, with retailers extending their restocking cycles. Current battery inventory stood at approximately one month. Additionally, battery wholesale selling prices remained unchanged, with the main model 48V12Ah priced at 280-300 yuan/set. Manufacturers in Zhejiang reported sluggish consumption in the electric storage battery market. Coupled with mediocre OEM orders overall, factory production line operating rates were at 70-80%. Considering raw material cost factors, battery selling prices had not been adjusted for the time being, with future adjustments to be determined based on market conditions. Manufacturers in Jiangxi reported that the electric storage battery market had entered the consumption off-season, with finished product orders weakening. To avoid inventory accumulation, factory operating rates were currently at approximately 80%. Additionally, lead prices weakened today, and factories purchased raw material lead as needed.

SMM April 10 News: Dealers in Hunan reported that end-use consumption in the automotive storage battery market was weak, retailers were cautious in purchasing, and battery inventory exceeded one month. In addition, selling prices in the battery wholesale market remained unchanged for the time being, with the wholesale price of 6-QW-60Ah at 260-300 yuan/unit. Manufacturers in Zhejiang reported that the automotive storage battery market entered the traditional peak season, but orders in April weakened MoM. Coupled with mediocre battery exports, the current factory operating rate was at 60-70%, and raw material lead was mainly purchased through long-term contracts. Manufacturers in Hebei reported that replacement demand in the automotive storage battery market was weakening, while OEM orders were moderate. Currently, factories produced based on sales, with production line operating rates at around 90%, and raw material lead was purchased as needed.

SMM, April 9: Dealers in Anhui reported that e-bike lead-acid battery replacement demand was sluggish, with slow digestion of battery inventories. Meanwhile, lead prices rose compared to March, pushing up battery production costs. The battery wholesale market has not yet launched sales promotions as it typically does during the off-season, with the mainstream model 48V20Ah currently priced at 390-400 yuan/set. Manufacturers in Jiangxi reported that the e-bike lead-acid battery market entered the consumption off-season, with declining dealer purchasing enthusiasm. To ease finished product inventory pressure, production in April plans to be reduced by approximately 10% compared to March, and raw material lead is primarily procured through long-term contracts. Manufacturers in Zhejiang reported that e-bike lead-acid battery market demand turned sluggish, with finished product orders in April already significantly lower than in March. To avoid inventory accumulation, factories took a three-day holiday for the Qingming Festival, and production is currently on a produce-based-on-sales basis.

SMM News, April 2: Dealers in Jiangxi reported no significant change for now in replacement demand in the automotive lead-acid battery market, with retailers only purchasing as needed and battery inventory at around one and a half months. In addition, amid the sharp recent rise in lead prices, talk of sales promotions in the battery wholesale market has weakened, and the mainstream model 6-QW-45Ah was quoted at 180-200 yuan/unit. Manufacturers in Zhejiang reported that domestic demand in the automotive lead-acid battery market was average. Coupled with impeded battery exports due to factors including geopolitical issues, tariffs, and differences in domestic and overseas costs, factories are currently producing based on sales, with the operating rate at around 50-60. Manufacturers in Hebei reported stable demand in the automotive lead-acid battery market, among which vehicle OEM supporting orders were moderate, and factory production lines were running at near full capacity. However, as the traditional consumption off-season in April approaches, subsequent production will be adjusted based on order conditions.

SMM News, March 10: Dealers in Hunan reported that end-use consumption in the e-bike lead-acid battery market was average. After retailers restocked following the holiday, battery sales pulled back somewhat. Current battery inventory is maintained at around half a month, and the wholesale price of the main 48V20Ah model is 400 yuan/set. Manufacturers in Jiangxi reported that demand in the electric lead-acid battery market improved in March. In addition, dealers restocked as usual after the holiday, and finished product orders rebounded significantly compared with February. At present, the operating rate of factory production lines is around 80, with raw material lead mainly procured through long-term contracts. Manufacturers in Zhejiang reported that replacement demand in the electric lead-acid battery market improved relatively, with dealers making purchases based on demand. The current factory operating rate has recovered to above 80. In addition, lead prices lacked upward momentum, and spot supply in circulation was ample, so recent procurement has basically been on a buy-as-needed basis.

SMM News on March 9: Dealers in Zhejiang reported a relative improvement in end-use consumption in the automotive lead-acid battery market, mainly due to post-holiday restocking by retailers. Battery inventory declined accordingly, while lead prices struggled to rise, and wholesale prices in the battery market have not seen significant changes for the time being; for example, the mainstream model 6-QW-45Ah was at 200-220 yuan/unit. Manufacturers in Hebei reported that after the holiday, dealers restocked as needed, and automotive lead-acid battery orders improved in March. In addition, factory staff have basically returned to work, and the current operating rate has exceeded 90%. Raw material lead is mainly procured under long-term contract. Manufacturers in Jiangxi reported that domestic demand in the automotive lead-acid battery market improved, while on the export side, affected by the SHFE/LME price ratio for lead, tariffs, and Middle East ocean shipping, export orders remained sluggish, and the current operating rate is maintained at 70-80%.