Electric vehicles emerged as a significant driver of global nickel consumption in 2025, accounting for 12% of total worldwide demand, according to data published by the International Energy Agency (IEA) and reported by Katadata Databoks. According to IEA figures, global nickel demand reached 3.53 million tons in 2025. The dominant share of that consumption, approximately 2.91 million tons or 82.3% of the total, was absorbed by the production of stainless steel, metal alloys, and other non-clean energy industrial applications, confirming the continued dominance of traditional end-use sectors.
Electric vehicle batteries and their components accounted for 439 thousand tons, representing 12.4% of total global nickel demand. Additional consumption was attributed to other clean energy technologies, including low-emission power generation such as nuclear and bioenergy, wind energy, grid-scale battery storage, hydrogen technology, and solar photovoltaic systems, though these segments collectively represented a smaller share of overall demand. Looking ahead, the IEA projects a substantial shift in the nickel demand structure over the coming decade.
Citing its Global Critical Minerals Outlook 2026, the agency stated that by 2035, batteries are expected to account for 30% of total nickel consumption, representing almost two-thirds of overall demand growth. However, the IEA also noted that evolving battery chemistry preferences are tempering the pace of nickel demand growth relative to earlier projections. The agency acknowledged that the industry-wide shift toward lithium iron phosphate, or LFP, battery chemistries is moderating nickel demand compared to its previous outlook.
Despite this moderation, the IEA emphasized that nickel-rich battery chemistries are expected to retain a strategically important role in global markets. This is particularly the case for battery manufacturers outside China and in regions such as North America and Europe, where consumer preference for longer-range vehicles continues to support demand for higher-energy-density, nickel-intensive battery formulations. Source: Katadata Databoks, citing the International Energy Agency (IEA), Global Critical Minerals Outlook 2026.
Source: databoks.katadata.co.id