CATL has unveiled a dual-battery system for heavy-duty electric trucks, combining a swappable main pack with a separate backup battery to help operators use more energy between stops.
Presented in Beijing on October 20, the technology arrives alongside an expansion of CATL’s Qiji battery-swapping network and new Tectrans II truck batteries.
The setup pairs a chassis-mounted main battery, available in 432 kWh or 513 kWh configurations, with a fixed 77 kWh battery behind the cab. Both power sources are batteries, so the range-extender function remains fully electric.
CATL says conventional swapping trucks often return with around 30 percent charge remaining. Its backup pack allows drivers to use more than 95 percent of the main battery’s capacity, with power switching between packs within milliseconds.
The intended benefit is greater use of the battery capacity fleets already lease, while retaining an energy reserve for reaching a swap station.
CATL says its upgraded Qiji station completes swaps in five minutes. The company targets 900 truck swapping stations by the end of 2026 and 2,000 in 2027, with a longer-term ambition of 10,000 across China.
A revised battery rental billing method also lets operators retain the benefit of regenerative braking. CATL claims this can reduce per-kWh rental costs by up to 20 percent for customers on basic plans.
Alongside the dual-battery launch, CATL introduced Tectrans II variants for different freight applications. These include lighter packs for short-haul operations, thinner batteries for construction trucks and a configuration suited to shorter-wheelbase vehicles.
A separate long-range version offers 760 kWh capacity, an 800-volt architecture and a claimed driving range exceeding 600 kilometers.
Agreements announced at the event covered an initial 13,000 units, underlining commercial interest in CATL’s expanding truck battery and swapping ecosystem.
[source: CarNewsChina]
