A lightweight alkali metal at the core of lithium-ion batteries: lithium ions shuttle between a lithium-containing cathode and, in most conventional cells, a graphite-based anode. These batteries power electric vehicles, grid-scale energy storage, and portable electronics. Demand projections vary by source and scenario — Albemarle, cited by Global X in February 2026, sees global demand rising from about 1.6 million tonnes LCE in 2025 to as much as 3.6 million tonnes by 2030.

The dominant rechargeable battery technology for EVs and grid storage, using lithium compounds in the cathode and graphite in the anode. Key chemistries include NMC (nickel-manganese-cobalt), NCA (nickel-cobalt-aluminum), and LFP (lithium iron phosphate), each offering different trade-offs between energy density, cost, and longevity.

The collective term for the critical minerals that serve as active materials in lithium-ion battery cells: lithium (used in all commercial Li-ion chemistries as the charge-carrying ion), cobalt (used in cathode materials such as NMC and NCA), nickel (the dominant cathode metal in high-energy-density NMC and NCA chemistries), and graphite (the dominant anode material, accounting for the majority of anode mass in virtually all commercial Li-ion cells). The relative importance of each metal varies by battery chemistry: LFP (lithium iron phosphate) batteries use no cobalt or nickel, while NMC811 is nickel-heavy and uses only modest cobalt. The push toward higher nickel and lower cobalt content — and the parallel growth of LFP — is reshaping demand growth trajectories across the four metals.

Technologies that capture energy for later use, primarily lithium-ion batteries at both vehicle and grid scale. Grid-scale energy storage enables higher renewable energy penetration by storing excess solar and wind generation for dispatch during peak demand periods.

The positive electrode in a lithium-ion battery, typically containing lithium combined with nickel, manganese, cobalt, or iron phosphate. Cathode chemistry is the primary determinant of battery energy density, cost, and performance characteristics.

A lithium-bearing mineral mined primarily in Western Australia that is processed into lithium hydroxide or lithium carbonate for battery manufacturing. Hard-rock spodumene mining is faster to scale than brine extraction but typically has higher production costs.

How an ETF obtains its exposure. Equity ETFs hold shares in mining, utility, technology or equipment companies. Other funds use futures contracts, total-return swaps, physically-backed commodity trusts, or a mix of securities and derivatives. A fund described as offering 'physical' exposure may track a commodity-owning trust rather than holding the metal directly.

The annual fee an ETF charges to cover stated operating costs such as management and administration, expressed as a percentage of assets. Depending on the source it may be quoted gross or net of contractual fee waivers. It does not capture every cost of owning a fund: brokerage commissions, bid-ask spreads, any premium or discount to NAV, and — for futures funds — roll effects are all separate. All else equal, a lower expense ratio means less annual fee drag on returns.

The net value of the assets an ETF holds. AUM indicates fund scale, but it does not by itself determine liquidity or trading costs; bid-ask spreads, trading volume, market makers and the liquidity of underlying holdings also matter. AUM changes with market prices and fund inflows or outflows.

Lithium and battery ETFs invest in companies involved in lithium mining, battery manufacturing, energy storage technology, and related supply chain materials. These funds provide exposure to the rapidly growing battery value chain driven by electric vehicle adoption and grid-scale energy storage deployment.

There are 9 US-listed ETFs focused on lithium, batteries, battery storage or EV metals, and every one of them appears in the table above. They span equity, futures and derivatives strategies, covering lithium miners, battery manufacturers, energy storage materials and battery-metal commodity exposure. A fund qualifies for this list if it trades on a US exchange and its stated principal theme is lithium, batteries, battery storage or EV metals, which is why broader critical-materials baskets such as SETM and EMET are not included. The count moves as funds launch and close: ILIT and WATS are the most recent additions.

The Global X Lithium & Battery Tech ETF (LIT) is the largest lithium-focused ETF on this list by a wide margin; current assets for every fund are shown in the sortable table above. LIT tracks the full lithium cycle from mining and refining through battery production, which gives it broader value-chain exposure than the miner-only funds. Size matters here for a practical reason: the smallest funds on this list hold single-digit millions, where bid-ask spreads and the risk of closure are live concerns.

Lithium mining ETFs such as LITP and ILIT hold only companies extracting and processing lithium, so they track lithium prices and producer economics closely. Battery technology ETFs such as BATT cast wider, adding battery manufacturers, storage companies and materials suppliers. Those holdings move less than miners do when the lithium price moves, so the fund tracks lithium itself more loosely. LIT bridges the two by covering the whole lithium-to-battery chain. WATS sits further downstream again, holding the companies that build and deploy grid-scale storage systems.

Yes. EVMT (Invesco Electric Vehicle Metals Commodity Strategy No K-1 ETF) holds futures on battery and vehicle metals including aluminum, nickel, copper, cobalt, iron ore and lithium. ZSB (USCF Sustainable Battery Metals Strategy Fund) is actively managed and, since January 2026, holds metals derivatives only, alongside carbon offset investments sized to its holdings' estimated emissions. Both invest through a subsidiary and issue a 1099 at tax time. Futures funds track metal prices more directly than mining equities do, but they carry roll costs that equity funds do not.

Lithium-ion batteries are the dominant storage technology for both electric vehicles and grid-scale power, which makes the companies that mine, refine and assemble them a direct route into electrification. Demand forecasts vary widely by source and scenario: Albemarle, cited by Global X in February 2026, projects global lithium demand rising from about 1.6 million tonnes LCE in 2025 to as much as 3.6 million tonnes by 2030. Any such figure is a scenario rather than a forecast, and lithium prices have already shown they can fall hard while demand grows. These ETFs spread that risk across the supply chain.