LMFP battery accelerates "mass production"

As a technology route that is "more manganese" than lithium iron phosphate, lithium manganese ferrite phosphate (LMFP) batteries are accelerating their entry into the large-scale application introduction stage and have become a sought-after product in the new energy vehicle market. Recently, the concentrated implementation actions by automakers have confirmed the rapid expansion potential of this technology route.

According to the 2026 China New Energy Vehicle New Vehicle Quality Report released by the global market research institution J.D. Power, in the compact plug-in hybrid (PHEV/extended-range) SUV market segment, Chery Fengyun T9 achieved a PP100 score of 221 (the number of problems per 100 vehicles), securing the top position in this market segment. Its flagship 7-seat long-range model is equipped with a manganese iron phosphate battery.

Traditional joint-venture brands are also accelerating their presence in this sector. At the recently concluded 2026 Beijing Auto Show, the new plug-in hybrid model of SAIC Volkswagen, the Tiguan Lepro, made its debut. One of its key highlights is the adoption of a 22 kWh lithium manganese iron phosphate and lithium-ion hybrid battery system, providing users with longer range and better cost performance, demonstrating the recognition of joint-venture brands for the lithium manganese iron phosphate technology.

As a firm supporter of lithium iron phosphate batteries, BYD is also adding "manganese" components to its products.

In March this year, BYD released the second-generation Blade Battery and fast-charging technology. The second-generation Blade Battery uses a composite cathode made of manganese iron phosphate and a silicon-carbon anode. The energy density of this battery system can be increased to 190-210 Wh/kg, which is approximately 36% higher than that of the first-generation product. The vehicles equipped with this battery can achieve a CLTC pure electric range of over 1,000 kilometers.

As more and more automakers start to adopt the technology of manganese iron phosphate batteries, the industry predicts that in the coming years, these batteries will experience a rapid penetration in the market, becoming one of the core driving forces for cost reduction and efficiency improvement, as well as technological upgrading in the new energy industry.

More "manganese" than lithium iron phosphate

If lithium iron phosphate is compared to the "conservative" players in the lithium battery arena, then lithium manganese iron phosphate is more like an upgraded version of lithium iron phosphate after its "genetic evolution". This technology achieves higher energy density by adding manganese elements to lithium iron phosphate. It can exceed the energy density of traditional lithium iron phosphate and approach the lower limit of ternary batteries, while maintaining high safety and relatively low cost.

"The manganese iron phosphate developed by the company features a higher voltage platform, higher energy density, better low-temperature performance, and retains the advantages of high safety and low cost. It also possesses more outstanding product performance and market competitiveness," said a domestic materials manufacturer.

Battery China Analysis believes that manganese phosphate lithium iron oxide not only fills the performance gap between lithium iron phosphate and ternary lithium batteries, but also retains the original high safety and cycle stability. It will become an excellent choice for high-end electric vehicles in the coming period.

In fact, as early as several years ago, the industry's first model equipped with "lithium-ion + phosphate iron-manganese battery" - the Zhijie S7 - had already been launched. Subsequently, models such as Chery Starway Yalong, Xiangjie S9, and Zhijie R7 also adopted the phosphate manganese iron battery. Besides, car manufacturers like Geely and Tesla have also developed the phosphate manganese iron battery technology and released related models.

Not only the pure solution approach, but also the technology route of combining manganese iron phosphate with ternary materials can achieve balanced optimization in terms of conductivity, energy density, safety and cycle performance. Industry analysts point out that the shipment volume of manganese iron phosphate batteries may show a rapid growth trend in the future.

According to industry institutions' predictions, by 2030, the market penetration rate of manganese iron phosphate will exceed 30%, and the global demand for manganese iron phosphate batteries will exceed 1,500 GWh, corresponding to an increase in cathode demand of over 260 million tons, and the market size could exceed 150 billion yuan.

It is worth noting that with the growing momentum of the development of new energy vehicles and energy storage, the proportion of batteries using manganese in lithium batteries is continuously expanding. According to Bloomberg New Energy Finance's prediction, the global market demand for manganese is expected to increase to 23.4 million tons by 2050. Industry analysts point out that manganese has abundant reserves and a cost much lower than that of nickel and cobalt, giving lithium manganese iron phosphate a significant advantage in cost reduction, which can further enhance its market competitiveness.

Hot investment sectors

In the global wave of the new energy industry, lithium manganese phosphate, which has the advantages of high energy density, safety and cost-effectiveness, is becoming a hot investment area in the battery sector. Currently, domestic industrial chain enterprises have significantly accelerated their production expansion pace, with technological breakthroughs and capacity layout advancing simultaneously. The process of the large-scale development of the lithium manganese phosphate industry has been pushed into high gear.

The expansion of production capacity by leading enterprises is undoubtedly the most obvious indicator of an industry's warming up. In April this year, Hunan Yugen announced that it had completed the share issuance process, raising a total of 4.788 billion yuan. The raised funds will all be used for the 320,000-ton per annum lithium manganese phosphate project, the 75,000-ton ultra-long cycle lithium iron phosphate project, and the 100,000-ton lithium iron phosphate project, etc.

According to Dechuan Nanotechnology, it has built a production capacity of 190,000 tons per year of lithium iron phosphate manganese carbonate. Dechuan Nanotechnology stated that the company is the earliest in the industry to have laid out the production capacity of lithium iron phosphate manganese carbonate, and its first-generation lithium iron phosphate manganese carbonate product has achieved batch production. The second-generation higher-performance product verification is progressing smoothly. Dangsheng Technology stated that the first-phase project of its Panzhihua New Materials Industrial Base, which has an annual production capacity of 120,000 tons of phosphoric acid (manganese) iron phosphate materials, has completed the construction and started production.

In addition, according to Guanghua Technology, the company's annual production capacity of manganese iron phosphate is 3,000 tons. Currently, samples are being sent for testing. Danyun Hi-tech stated that the technology they have developed for preparing graphene-coated manganese iron phosphate cathode materials can further enhance the material's cycle stability and low-temperature tolerance.

It is worth noting that, according to recent media reports, Quanrui Industry has collaborated with relevant domestic institutions and used the high-purity ferrous chloride solution produced by the non-extraction system hydrochloric acid method for the co-production of titanium dioxide as the sole iron source. By adopting the multi-element materialization metallurgy approach, they have successfully completed the industrial-scale experiment of "liquid-phase preparation of manganese iron lithium phosphate cathode material from ferrous chloride solution". It is claimed that this method can provide a large quantity and stable iron source for manganese iron lithium phosphate, and the cost can be reduced by more than 40%.

Thanks to its higher voltage platform and energy density compared to lithium iron phosphate, manganese iron phosphate lithium is rapidly opening up the application market. With the continuous maturation of technology and the rapid release of production capacity, manganese iron phosphate lithium will provide more cost-effective solutions for the development of the new energy industry.