Asian Tech Press -- Chinese battery giant Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Ltd. (CATL) ranked first with a 29.9% share in the global electric vehicle (EV) battery market, according to the survey results released by South Korean energy market research firm SNE Research.

Japan's Panasonic and China's BYD ranked third and fourth with 15% and 6.9%, respectively.

South Korea's battery trio -- LG Energy Solution. Ltd., Samsung SDI Co. and SK Innovation Co. -- had a combined share of 34.9% of the global EV battery market in the first half of the year, Yonhap News Agency reported on Thursday.

Specifically, the three South Korean companies ranked second, fifth and sixth with respect to global market share.

In the report, Yonhap News Agency quoted market analysis firms as saying that South Korean EV battery makers are facing increasing market competition from Chinese rivals.