Charted: The Rise of Silicon in EV Batteries

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Charted: The Rise of Silicon in EV Batteries

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Key Takeaways

• Silicon-based anodes are expected to grow from about 5% share in 2022 to roughly 20% of lithium-ion battery capacity by 2035.
• Because silicon stores far more lithium than graphite, it could enable longer EV range, smaller batteries, and lower costs per kilometer.

Electric vehicles rely heavily on lithium-ion batteries, and the materials used inside them are evolving rapidly. For years, graphite has dominated battery anodes—the negative electrode that stores lithium during charging.

However, silicon is emerging as a powerful alternative. This infographic charts the projected rise of silicon-containing anodes in EV batteries through 2035.

The data for this visualization comes from Benchmark Mineral Intelligence. It tracks the weighted supply of anode materials in gigawatt-hours (GWh) of battery capacity, representing the amount of EV battery use supported by each material type.

Graphite Still Dominates Today

Graphite remains the backbone of lithium-ion battery anodes. In 2022, synthetic graphite alone accounted for roughly 76% of global anode capacity, while natural graphite made up another 18.6%.

This dominance stems from graphite’s stability, relatively low cost, and established supply chains. Manufacturers have spent decades optimizing graphite-based batteries, making them reliable for mass EV production.

However, graphite has a major limitation: it stores relatively little lithium compared to emerging alternatives.

Why Silicon Is So Promising

Silicon can theoretically store about 10 times more lithium than graphite. This property allows batteries with silicon-enhanced anodes to pack more energy into the same physical space.

In practical terms, this could significantly extend EV range without increasing battery size. For example, an EV that previously covered 480 km on a single charge could reach 640 km—or even 800 km—using a battery pack of the same size and weight.

Because silicon expands significantly during charging cycles, engineers are developing hybrid approaches. These include graphite–silicon composites and engineered silicon materials that balance higher capacity with structural stability.

Silicon’s Share Could Reach 20% by 2035

Forecasts suggest silicon will steadily gain traction over the next decade. Graphite–silicon composite anodes are projected to rise from 5% of battery capacity in 2022 to 17.5% by 2035.

Meanwhile, fully engineered silicon anodes could expand from almost zero share to about 3% over the same period.

Learn More on the Voronoi App

To learn more about this topic, check out this graphic on the projected battery mineral deficit by 2034.