In this article, we will list the 5 Best EV Battery Stocks to Buy in 2026. Please visit 10 Best EV Battery Stocks to Buy in 2026 if you would like to see the extended list and the methodology behind it.
5. Standard Lithium Ltd. (NYSEAMERICAN:SLI)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 14
Stock Upside: 50.92%
Standard Lithium Ltd. (NYSEAMERICAN:SLI) is one of the best EV battery stocks to buy in 2026. On April 29, Evercore ISI analyst Eric Boyes initiated coverage on Standard Lithium Ltd. (NYSEAMERICAN:SLI) with an Outperform rating and a price target of $4.75.
The initiation centers on Standard Lithium’s work in direct lithium extraction, or DLE, which is a newer, more efficient method of pulling lithium from brine rather than using traditional evaporation ponds. Boyes noted that Standard Lithium is ahead of peers in demonstrating and refining the DLE process, particularly through its projects in the Smackover Formation in Arkansas.
A major pillar of the analyst’s confidence is Standard Lithium’s strategic partnership with Norwegian energy giant Equinor. Boyes said the partnership brings substantial technical credibility to the project and signals that a serious, well-resourced industry player has bet on the company’s technology and approach.
Adding further validation, the company secured a $225 million grant from the US Department of Energy. This is a substantial federal endorsement that, in Evercore’s view, confirms the economic viability of Standard Lithium’s project and reduces financing risk going forward.
The analyst also noted that Standard Lithium has operated a pilot plant for around half a decade, which has demonstrated more than 95% recovery and over 99% contaminant rejection. This is a key milestone that validates the scalability of the company’s DLE technology ahead of a full commercial build-out, the analyst noted.
Standard Lithium Ltd. (NYSEAMERICAN:SLI) is a lithium development company that supplies lithium for use in EV batteries. The company focuses on extracting and processing lithium from brine resources to produce battery-grade lithium chemicals, including lithium carbonate and lithium hydroxide.
4. Solid Power, Inc. (NASDAQ:SLDP)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 19
Stock Upside: 102.31%
Solid Power, Inc. (NASDAQ:SLDP) is one of the best EV battery stocks to buy in 2026. On May 5, Solid Power, Inc. (NASDAQ:SLDP) reported its Q1 2026 financial results, stating that revenue and grant income combined came in at $3.1 million. This is an almost 50% year over year drop. Management explained that the Q1 2025 revenue had been propped up by active billing under the SK On line installation agreement. However, the agreement reached its final milestone in Q1 2026 and effectively closed out that revenue stream. Going forward, management said, the company’s revenue will shift toward electrolyte supply and new partnership arrangements.
Quarterly net loss narrowed to $13.0 million, or $0.06 per share, from $15.2 million, or $0.08 per share, in Q1 2025. This year over year improvement was driven by a larger non-cash gain from the change in fair value of warrant liabilities, management noted. Otherwise, operating loss actually widened slightly to $26.3 million from $24.0 million.
The company detailed that on the technology side, the quarter’s biggest milestone was completing site acceptance testing for the SK On pilot cell line. In other words, production lines using Solid Power’s technology are now running on three continents, that is, at its own facility in Colorado and at partner facilities in Germany and South Korea.
Meanwhile, on April 24, Solid Power said in an 8-K filing that board director Rainer Feurer had formally notified the company on April 20 of his intention to retire. The exit will be effected later this year on June 30. Feurer has served as a Class III Director since May 2021.
Solid Power, Inc. (NASDAQ:SLDP) is a battery technology company that develops solid-state batteries for use in electric vehicles. The company produces solid electrolyte materials and battery cells that aim to improve energy density, safety, and performance compared to conventional lithium-ion batteries.
3. Atlas Lithium Corporation (NASDAQ:ATLX)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 5
Stock Upside: 135.85%
Atlas Lithium Corporation (NASDAQ:ATLX) is one of the best EV battery stocks to buy in 2026. On April 27, Atlas Lithium Corporation (NASDAQ:ATLX) announced that it has signed contracts with four Brazilian engineering and construction firms to begin implementing its fully-owned Neves Project. The project is the company’s flagship lithium mining development located in Minas Gerais, Brazil.
The four firms are Promon Engenharia, TSX Engineering, Cerne Construções, and RETC Infraestrutura. Atlas said it selected them through a competitive bidding process evaluated on technical experience, proven execution, quality standards, and cost efficiency. It added that every contract was finalized at or below the cost estimates set out in the company’s Definitive Feasibility Study. As such, the project is entering construction with its budget intact.
According to Atlas, Promon will handle detailed engineering and TSX will oversee overall project management. For Cerne Construções, the company holds an EPC contract for administrative and operational facilities and RETC Infraestrutura will take charge of earthworks and civil construction.
The company projects that the Neves Project will produce around 146,000 tons of lithium concentrate annually at an operating cost of $489 per ton at the mine gate. This cost is quite attractive, Atlas said, because it is well below the nearly $2,000 per ton market price. Atlas also projects $539M NPV and 145% IRR, with an 11-month payback period. It added that the project is already fully permitted and the processing plant has been delivered to Brazil.
Atlas Lithium Corporation (NASDAQ:ATLX) is a mineral exploration and development company that supplies lithium, a key raw material used in EV batteries. The company focuses on the exploration and development of lithium resources, producing materials that can be processed into lithium compounds used in lithium-ion batteries.
2. SES AI Corporation (NYSE:SES)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 25
Stock Upside: 162.14%
SES AI Corporation (NYSE:SES) is one of the best EV battery stocks to buy in 2026. On April 24, Cantor Fitzgerald analyst Derek Soderberg reiterated his Overweight rating and $4 price target on SES AI Corporation (NYSE:SES). The call came after SES shared its Q1 FY2026 earnings results.
In the results, SES said quarterly revenue reached $6.7 million, a 47% jump from the previous quarter, and that this growth came on the back of robust performance by the Energy Storage Systems (ESS) segment. The company reported a non-GAAP loss of $0.03 per share during the quarter, which was in line with analyst forecasts. Over the past twelve months, SES’s total revenue surged 929% to reach $21 million.
Beside the remarkable quarter, Soderberg also noted that his optimism about the company arises from its new multi-year distribution agreement with ATG EPower. ATG EPower is a private global battery manufacturer, and the agreement covers North American distribution of its energy storage products, which is valued at about $20 million over three years.
On the technology side, the analyst noted that SES’s Molecular Universe (MU) unit, which uses artificial intelligence to discover new battery materials, continued to gain traction. About half a dozen of the company’s customers now progress into the second phase of testing for MU-discovered materials, noted Soderberg. He added that this signals growing commercial interest beyond the core ESS business.
SES AI Corporation (NYSE:SES) is a battery technology company that develops lithium-metal batteries for use in electric vehicles. It focuses on next-generation battery chemistries designed to improve energy density, performance, and efficiency compared to conventional lithium-ion batteries.
1. Stardust Power Inc. (NASDAQ:SDST)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 5
Stock Upside: 258.57%
Stardust Power Inc. (NASDAQ:SDST) is one of the best EV battery stocks to buy in 2026. On April 20, Stardust Power Inc. (NASDAQ:SDST) signed a non-binding Letter of Intent, or LOI, with an institutional investor to support up to $150 million in project-level financing for its planned lithium refinery in Muskogee, Oklahoma. This LOI sets the stage for due diligence and negotiation of definitive agreements.
Stardust said in a press release that the LOI allows for the investment to be structured across equity, debt, or hybrid instruments. It added that the framework also allows the investor to bring in other parties through syndication. Put simply, the LOI provides flexibility in how the investor can assemble the capital stack.
Importantly, the company said it structured the financing as a project-level investment rather than a corporate-level raise. This way, the company can limit dilution for existing public shareholders while also helping establish a standalone, market-based valuation for the refinery asset itself.
Once fully built, the Muskogee refinery should produce up to 50,000 metric tons per year of battery-grade lithium carbonate. The lithium carbonate will be developed in two equal phases of roughly 25,000 metric tons, according to Stardust. The company added that the project has already cleared several key technical and regulatory hurdles, including a FEL-3 engineering study. Stardust has also received an air permit from the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality and obtained third-party engineering validation.
Stardust Power Inc. (NASDAQ:SDST) is a lithium refining company that produces battery-grade lithium used in EV batteries. The company focuses on processing lithium feedstock into high-purity lithium chemicals, such as lithium carbonate and lithium hydroxide, which are essential materials in lithium-ion battery production.
While we acknowledge the potential of SDST to grow, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and have limited downside risk. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than SDST and that has 100x upside potential, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.
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