New energy materials are an important element for the strategic emerging industries and they are also important concerning economic and social development as well as national security. In this paper, we summarize the development status of the key materials for lithium-ion batteries and fuel cells in China and abroad and analyze the problems of China’s new energy materials industry,which include shortage of original innovation, insecure industry chain of key strategic materials, low self-sufficiency rate of high end products, insufficient self-supply of high-end applications, and lack of platforms for collaboration among production, education,research, and application. The development trends of the key materials industry are also prospected. In view of the development requirements by 2025 and 2035, we expound the development ideas for the new energy materials regarding the lithium-ion batteries and fuel cells and elaborate the development goals and key tasks. To achieve leapfrog development, China should improve top-level planning and enhance its support policies for innovation-driven development to foster competitive enterprises. It also should establish a production and application demonstration platform and strengthen talent training.