CATL Unveils Dual-Electric Battery and Swapping Ecosystem to Accelerate Heavy Truck Electrification
CATL launches a dual-electric range extension battery and advanced heavy-duty swapping solution to accelerate commercial freight electrification globally.
POLICY WIRE — Beijing, China — Battery manufacturer CATL rolled out an innovative dual-electric range extension battery alongside a next-generation heavy-duty swapping infrastructure on Tuesday. The initiative aims to drive the rapid electrification of road freight by tackling persistent fleet economics concerns such as residual value and utilization rates.
Competition in the electric heavy-duty trucking market is shifting toward full-lifecycle value. To make freight transport more practical, CATL integrated its new battery system with QIJI’s standardization and commercial ecosystem strategy.
The dual-electric system combines a standardized chassis-mounted main battery with a 77kWh behind-the-cab range-extension power unit capable of 3C charging. This configuration boosts the main battery’s depth of discharge from roughly 70% to more than 95%, utilizing seamless switching technology to maintain uninterrupted power delivery.
Gao Huan, chief technology officer for CATL’s China passenger and commercial vehicle businesses, emphasized that battery swapping remains the optimal path forward. For heavy trucks, battery swapping is the only solution for pursuing ultimate energy-replenishment efficiency, Gao stated.
QIJI’s strategy incorporates standardized 260# (432 kWh) and 300# (513 kWh) battery-swapping blocks that enable five-minute swaps with a 99.99% first-time success rate. The company also introduced a battery-as-a-service model charging customers for net energy consumed rather than discharged.
Infrastructure expansion remains a core pillar of the rollout, with CATL targeting 900 swapping stations by the end of 2026 and 2,000 by 2027. The long-term vision involves scaling up to 10,000 stations nationwide alongside industry partners.
Commercial momentum is already building, marked by agreements signed for 13,000 units during the unveiling event. Jesse Yang, CEO of QIJI Energy, noted that combining the dual-electric range extension battery and QIJI battery swapping offers the best solution for electrifying heavy-duty trucks.
Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)
