New Energies: Assessment 2025 and Outlook 2026

As 2025 draws to a close, we take time to analyze developments in the electric vehicle,energy independence and lithium battery sectors. Our perspective, from China, reveals striking contrasts and opportunities for action in 2026.

The general and export picture from China shows a clear slowdown in enthusiasm for electric vehicles. The main reason is theinability of Western countries to adapt by structuring essential services: assembly, repair and, above all, recycling.

Despite great strides in innovation and product evolution, commercialization and related services have lagged, leading to a mixed 2025 balance sheet. It’s no longer a question of rehashing the past, but of knowing what remains to be done. On the positive side: everything remains to be built.

The first point of alert concerns the repair of vehicle batteries (rechargeable hybrids and electric vehicles).

• A Daily Need: Throughout 2025, we were contacted daily, from France and China, for repair support.
• The Chinese lesson: China, confronted with this problem much earlier, solved it thanks to the emergence of franchises specializing in battery repair.
• Outlook for 2026: Although few French companies have positioned themselves in this niche in 2025, we are convinced that 2026 will be the year in which this activity takes off in Europe. The initial investment is relatively low (approximately in basic equipment) for a skill that enables the majority of automotive batteries to be repaired.

In terms of recycling and recovery of secondary batteries, 2025 was not a positive year.

• Lack of skills: The lack of professionalism in this sector in France is flagrant. The level of skills is so low that some recycling line suppliers don’t even master cell nomenclature.
• An uncertain future: Very few French professionals have specialized in this activity. For 2026, the situation is unlikely to improve significantly, mainly due to the cost of investment and uncertainties linked to the electric vehicle market.

The market for lithium batteries for light mobility (scooters, scooters, etc.) continued to grow in 2025, with increasing demand for repair and reconditioning.

• A vacuum of services: Here again, there is a crying lack of professionals offering quality services.
• Affordable solutions: We offer high-performance equipment at less than for reconditioning, but demand for training remains low in relation to market potential.
• Outlook for 2026: We anticipate a major change in 2026 with the arrival of independents and entrepreneurs positioning themselves in this sector.

💡 Innovation and the Unstoppable Future

In China, innovation is flourishing, with more interactive equipment and increased automation. France and Europe should follow this trend.

Despite the frustration of seeing this market progress more slowly than expected, it’s essential to recognize its limitless potential. Automation, robotization and artificial intelligence demand the use of lithium batteries. The electric vehicle is, in any case, an inevitable change in the way we travel.

The year 2026 offers a unique window of opportunity. It will enable professionals and entrepreneurs interested in new energies to find or consolidate their place in a business that, despite its slow start, is destined for exponential growth.

💡 Important note: For companies in this sector, it’s crucial not to base future growth solely on the momentum observed between 2023 and 2025. An overly conservative approach, thinking that 2026 will continue on the same momentum, would be a risk. It is imperative toinvest now in new equipment and the acquisition of advanced skills.