Tesla’s energy storage business continued to grow in Q1 2025 even as profits and vehicle sales fell, but faces greater exposure to trade tariff risks than its automotive segment.
Donald Trump has threatened to impose additional 10% tariffs on all goods from China once he takes office, which would compound existing tariffs the BESS industry already has to deal with.
US lawmakers have accused lithium-ion battery OEMs CATL and Gotion High-Tech of having supply chain connections to forced labour and Uyghur oppression in China – a claim the firms adamantly deny – and called on an immediate block on shipments of their products.
The BESS ‘land grab’ looks set to continue as Tier 2 companies vie for market share before countries potentially curb imports from China, with one developer suggesting the recent CATL-Duke Energy case will “not be unique”.
Turkey and India’s policies towards battery imports and domestic production, astonishment at China’s 2023 deployment figures and sifting through some ‘bragawatt-hour’ claims in this week’s Friday Briefing.
Early days of the new regime have been applauded for their progressive nature, but lack of proper cost-benefit analysis for storage and concerns of trade tariffs remain
