The Guardian reported on November 12 that CATL, the world’s largest battery manufacturer, is advancing the electrification of heavy-duty trucks through battery swapping and plans to expand this model to Europe.
According to the report, battery swap stations operated by Qiji Energy, a subsidiary of CATL, can complete the replacement of heavy truck batteries in approximately five minutes. CATL aims to launch 900 swap stations across China by the end of this year—roughly doubling its current network—and expects to reach 2,000 stations by the end of 2027. The company has partnered with UK-based energy firm Octopus Energy to establish the first large-scale swap hubs in Britain next year, with plans to deploy over 30 such hubs across Europe by 2035.
Shiyue Mao, researcher at the International Council on Clean Transportation, noted that batteries account for about 40% of an electric truck’s purchase price; leasing batteries instead of buying them outright can significantly reduce upfront costs. Xue Luolu, senior project assistant at the World Resources Institute’s China program, pointed out that battery specifications and swap mechanisms remain inconsistent across manufacturers, limiting drivers to using stations affiliated with specific service providers. The most recently available data cited in the report indicates that around one-third of zero-emission trucks in China in 2024 rely on battery swapping, while the remainder predominantly use plug-in charging.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1881697516452876/
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