So I got this call last month from a guy I've been selling parts to for years. He runs an import business down in Colombia. Been doing it for a while. Lately he's been seeing more electric cars and trucks on the roads down there and he's thinking maybe it's time to start stocking that kind of stuff.

"Give me the scoop," he said. "Who in China is making decent motors and batteries? Not the big names everyone knows. The ones that actually hold up when you put them to work."

I sat there for a second, trying to figure out where to even start. This isn't as simple as it used to be.

A few years back I would've just said "CATL and BYD" and been done with it. That was the whole conversation. But 2025 is a different story. There's a whole ecosystem now. Some you've heard of. Some you probably haven't.

Batteries: The Big Two Are Still the Big Two, But There's More Going On

Let's start with the obvious. CATL is still the heavyweight champion. Nobody's even close. Last year they did 464.7 gigawatt-hours worldwide. That's like four out of every ten EV batteries on the planet. In China alone they did 333 GWh, which is enough to power over five million cars. You name an automaker—Volkswagen, BMW, Tesla, Ford—they're all buying from CATL. It's basically the default choice.

BYD is number two. 194.8 GWh, about 16% of the global market. But here's the thing with BYD—most of their batteries go into their own cars. They're not just a battery company. They build the cars too. That whole "we do everything ourselves" approach has been working out pretty well for them.

But the part I find more interesting is what's happening behind those two.

CALB quietly grabbed 6.5% of the market last year with 36.6 GWh. That put them as the third-largest in China. You might not know the name—I didn't at first—but they're supplying GAC, Leapmotor, and some Volkswagen models. Nothing flashy. But they've been picking up contracts left and right.

Gotion High-tech grew from 4.5% to 5.1% last year. Volkswagen owns about a quarter of them. That connection helped them get a foot in the door in Europe. You see them pop up in more and more places now.

EVE Energy did 31.3 GWh. SVOLT did 28.5 GWh. Both are in the top tier. EVE supplies BMW and Mercedes. SVOLT spun off from Great Wall Motors and now supplies Geely, Leapmotor, and others.

Here's something I noticed: CATL and BYD's combined share actually dropped a bit last year. Car companies don't want to rely on just one or two battery suppliers. They're looking around for alternatives. That's good news for CALB, Gotion, EVE, and the other second-tier players.

Motors: More Car Companies Making Their Own

The motor market looks different. More players. More specialization. And more car companies building their own motors.

FinDreams Powertrain, BYD's motor division, is still number one. They did 3.81 million units last year, about a quarter of the market. Most go into BYD's own cars. But they're starting to sell to others too.

Here's where it gets interesting.

Huawei Digital Power. Most people don't think of them when they think of car motors. But they're now the second-largest in China. 1.07 million units last year, 7.2% market share. Their DriveONE system powers AITO, Avatr, and other vehicles in the Huawei ecosystem. The tech is solid. And the way it all ties together with their electronics is what makes them stand out.

INOVANCE Automotive is another name worth remembering. They did 1.44 million motor controllers last year, almost 10% of that market. Their motors go into a bunch of different vehicles. Not tied to one brand. If you're looking for a motor supplier that doesn't come with a car company attached, these guys are worth a look.

Tesla is on the list too. 780,000 units last year, 5.2% market share. But those are mostly for their Shanghai-made cars. Not something you'd buy from them directly unless you're already in their orbit.

NIO and Leapmotor also made the top ten with their in-house motors. The trend is pretty clear: more car companies want to make their own motors. Getting into the supply chain now is harder than it was five or six years ago.

Power Semiconductors: The Local Guys Have Arrived

I had to double-check these numbers when I first saw them. No joke.

Power semiconductors used to be all Infineon, STMicroelectronics, and the other European and Japanese companies. Not anymore.

BYD Semiconductor is now number one. 3.8 million units last year, 25.6% of the market. They've been making their own chips for years. Now they're selling to others too.

CRRC Times Semiconductor is second, with 12.5% market share. They come from the railway world. CRRC makes China's high-speed trains. Turns out that heavy-duty power electronics know-how transfers pretty well to EVs.

Silan Microelectronics and United Nova Technology round out the top tier. The top five Chinese suppliers now hold over 55% of the domestic market. Infineon? They're now sixth. That's a big shift in just a few years.

If you're looking for power components, the local Chinese brands are worth a serious look. The quality gap has closed a lot.

Commercial Vehicles: A Whole Different Ballgame

Everyone watches the passenger EV market. But if you're dealing with trucks, buses, or commercial fleets, the supplier list is completely different.

Green Control dominates the heavy truck motor market. In the first nine months of last year, they supplied motors for 25,000 new energy heavy trucks. That's 18% of the market. Their customer list reads like a who's who of Chinese truck makers: XCMG, Dongfeng, Shaanxi Auto, Sany, and nearly 30 others.

Tebijia Power is the other big name in commercial EVs. They did 22,000 units in the same period, about 15.6% share. They're especially strong in the tractor and trailer segment. Not just a volume player. They focus on heavy-duty stuff.

Sany and FAW also make their own motors for their trucks. Same pattern as passenger vehicles: the big guys are bringing production in-house.

What This Means If You're Buying

So you're importing parts, or running a fleet, or sourcing components. What do you actually need to know?

Batteries. CATL is the safe bet. Everyone knows them, everyone uses them. But if you want to spread things around or save some money, CALB and Gotion are legit alternatives. Just make sure whatever you buy has the right certifications for your market.

Motors. FinDreams if you're dealing with BYD vehicles. Huawei if you want strong electronics integration. INOVANCE if you want a solid third-party supplier without brand baggage.

Heavy trucks. Green Control and Tebijia are the two names you need to know. They've got the volume and the track record.

Power semiconductors. The Chinese suppliers are legit now. BYD Semiconductor, CRRC, Silan—they're not just cheap alternatives anymore. They're competing on technology.