# Electric and hybrid vehicles: Equipment and suppliers Cells, inverters and magnets: what is under the floor Source page: https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_evs/equipment/ What this tab covers For each method, the main pieces of equipment, who makes them (by region) and what they are made of (bill of materials). An electric car is built around a battery pack, power electronics (inverter and charger) and a motor; a fuel-cell car adds a stack and hydrogen tanks. Battery cells are the only component with a reliable published global ranking. #### Battery electric and plug-in vehicles **Lithium-ion battery cells and pack**^[5](https://about.bnef.com/insights/commodities/lithium-ion-battery-pack-prices-fall-to-108-per-kilowatt-hour-despite-rising-metal-prices/)^[6](https://cnevpost.com/2026/02/04/global-ev-battery-market-share-2025/) Store energy chemically and release it as direct current. China CATL, BYD, CALB, Gotion High-tech, Eve Energy, Svolt Japan and Korea LG Energy Solution, SK On, Samsung SDI, Panasonic Bill of materials - **Cathode**: lithium iron phosphate (LFP, pack USD 81/kWh) or nickel-manganese-cobalt oxide (NMC, pack USD 128/kWh) price gap between chemistries shown by pack price (2025) - **Anode**: graphite on copper foil - **Electrolyte and separator**: lithium salt in organic solvent; porous polymer film - **Pack housing, cooling and battery management electronics**: aluminium or steel case, liquid cooling plates, sensors **Traction inverter and motor**^[1](https://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/atv-ev.shtml) Turn battery DC into three-phase AC and then into torque; reverse the flow when braking. Not ranked in checked sources Bill of materials - **Power switches**: silicon IGBTs or silicon carbide MOSFETs - **Motor stator**: electrical steel laminations with copper windings - **Rotor**: rare-earth (neodymium) permanent magnets, or copper or aluminium bars in induction motors **On-board charger**^[12](https://ecomento.de/2026/08/07/adac-untersucht-elektroauto-ladeverluste/) Converts grid AC to DC to charge the pack; its losses matter most when charging slowly. Not ranked in checked sources Bill of materials - **Rectifier, DC-DC converter, magnetics**: silicon or silicon carbide switches, copper and ferrite transformers #### Full hybrid **High-efficiency petrol engine**^[15](https://global.toyota/en/powertrain/engine/)^[8](https://www.carscoops.com/2026/01/toyota-global-sales-2025-ev-gap-grows/)^[16](https://carnewschina.com/2026/02/26/three-chinese-automakers-enter-global-top-10-as-2025-sales-rankings-finalized/) Runs on the Atkinson-style cycle at high compression (14:1) and works only near its sweet spot; 41% peak thermal efficiency. Japan and Korea Toyota, Hyundai, Honda Bill of materials - **Block and head**: aluminium alloy - **Exhaust catalyst**: platinum-group metals on a ceramic honeycomb #### Hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle **Fuel cell stack and system**^[9](https://www.electrive.com/2026/02/23/global-h%E2%82%82-vehicle-sales-rise-by-nearly-25/)^[10](https://www.argusmedia.com/pt/news-and-insights/latest-market-news/2788492-china-s-korea-drove-rebound-in-2025-h2-vehicle-sales) Combines hydrogen and air to make electricity, water and heat. Japan and Korea Toyota (with BMW, systems from 2028), Hyundai, Honda Europe Cellcentric Bill of materials - **Membrane electrode assemblies**: proton-exchange polymer membrane with platinum catalyst - **Bipolar plates**: coated stainless steel or graphite **High-pressure hydrogen tanks**^[10](https://www.argusmedia.com/pt/news-and-insights/latest-market-news/2788492-china-s-korea-drove-rebound-in-2025-h2-vehicle-sales) Store hydrogen gas on board. Not ranked in checked sources Bill of materials - **Tank shell**: carbon-fibre wound over a polymer liner #### E-bikes and e-scooters **Drive unit and battery**^[14](https://cenex.co.uk/resources/real-world-scooter-performance-study) Small hub or crank motor with a lithium-ion pack of a few hundred watt-hours. Not ranked in checked sources Bill of materials - **Motor**: permanent-magnet brushless motor, often with reduction gears - **Battery**: cylindrical lithium-ion cells #### Sources 1. [Where the Energy Goes: Electric Cars](https://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/atv-ev.shtml) US DOE and US EPA (fueleconomy.gov), 2025 2. [Lithium-ion battery pack prices fall to USD 108 per kilowatt-hour despite rising metal prices](https://about.bnef.com/insights/commodities/lithium-ion-battery-pack-prices-fall-to-108-per-kilowatt-hour-despite-rising-metal-prices/) BloombergNEF, 2025 3. [Global EV battery market share in 2025: full rankings (SNE Research data as reported)](https://cnevpost.com/2026/02/04/global-ev-battery-market-share-2025/) CnEVPost, 2026 4. [Toyota global sales 2025 (Toyota's sales release as reported, with hybrid, PHEV, BEV and fuel-cell breakdown)](https://www.carscoops.com/2026/01/toyota-global-sales-2025-ev-gap-grows/) Carscoops, 2026 5. [Global H2 vehicle sales rise by nearly 25% (SNE Research data as reported)](https://www.electrive.com/2026/02/23/global-h%E2%82%82-vehicle-sales-rise-by-nearly-25/) electrive, 2026 6. [China, S Korea drove rebound in 2025 H2 vehicle sales (SNE Research and company data)](https://www.argusmedia.com/pt/news-and-insights/latest-market-news/2788492-china-s-korea-drove-rebound-in-2025-h2-vehicle-sales) Argus Media, 2026 7. [ADAC untersucht Elektroauto-Ladeverluste (report of ADAC's 2026 AC charging-loss test of five cars)](https://ecomento.de/2026/08/07/adac-untersucht-elektroauto-ladeverluste/) ecomento, 2026 8. [Real-World Scooter Performance Study](https://cenex.co.uk/resources/real-world-scooter-performance-study) Cenex, 2019 9. [TNGA powertrain: 2.5-litre Dynamic Force engine (40% and 41% maximum thermal efficiency)](https://global.toyota/en/powertrain/engine/) Toyota Motor Corporation, 2016 10. [Three Chinese automakers enter global top 10 as 2025 sales rankings finalized](https://carnewschina.com/2026/02/26/three-chinese-automakers-enter-global-top-10-as-2025-sales-rankings-finalized/) CarNewsChina, 2026 ## Other sections - [Summary](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_evs/index.md) - [Overview](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_evs/overview/index.md) - [Correlation](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_evs/correlation/index.md) - [Science and limits](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_evs/science/index.md) - [Value chain](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_evs/valuechain/index.md) - [Unit economics](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_evs/economics/index.md) - [Engineering methods](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_evs/methods/index.md) - [Relationships](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_evs/links/index.md)