The new system pairs a standardised main battery, mounted on the chassis and swappable at QIJI stations (pictured).Image: CATL.
China’s Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Limited (CATL) has unveiled a dual-electric range extension battery for heavy-duty electric trucks, alongside a new battery-swapping offer developed with QIJI Energy.
The company announced the products in Beijing on 20 October 2026. It said agreements covering 13,000 units were signed at the launch event but did not specify the buyers.
The launch comes after CATLgrew its share
The launch comes after CATLgrew its share of global electric vehicle (EV) battery usage to 40.2% between January and May 2026 Over the same half-year, its gross margin on EV battery systems fell to 20.63% from 22.41% a year earlier
The new system pairs a standardised main battery, mounted on the chassis and swappable at QIJI stations, with a second battery fitted behind the cab. CATL said this backup unit is currently a 77kWh battery capable of 3C charging.
According to CATL, the backup lets operators use more of the main battery, raising its depth of discharge from about 70% to more than 95%. Trucks can then reach a swap station with less than 5% charge left, and the company said the switch to backup power takes milliseconds.
The 3C rating is below the charging speed
The 3C rating is below the charging speed CATL claimed in July fora light commercial EV battery that reaches 80% charge in 6 minutes 48 seconds.
CATL has not published a driving range for the new system, a charging time for the 77kWh unit or a date for commercial availability.
The company calls the design a 1+X architecture, meaning the two batteries can be developed and upgraded separately. It said the range extension battery can be configured for higher energy density, cold-climate performance or higher power.
CATL has not said which cell chemistry
CATL has not said which cell chemistry the backup unit will use. Its Naxtra sodium-ion battery, whichdebuted in what CATL and CHANGAN Automobile described as the first mass-production sodium-ion passenger vehicle, is rated for fast charging between -40°C and 70°C.
Under the proposed model, the backup battery stays with the truck, while the main battery can be leased by season to reduce costs.
Swapping network and leasing
QIJI’s network will add swap blocks of 432kWh and 513kWh to its existing smaller block. The companies said a swap takes about five minutes and succeeds first time in 99.99% of cases.
Customers will pay for the net energy they
Customers will pay for the net energy they use under a battery-as-a-service model, which CATL said lets operators keep the energy recovered through regenerative braking. It said per-kWh rental costs on basic plans could fall by up to 20%.
QIJI plans 900 swap stations by the end of 2026 and 2,000 by 2027, with a longer-term aim of 10,000 nationwide with partners. QIJI chief executive Jesse Yang said combining the dual-electric battery with swapping was the best way to electrify heavy-duty trucks.
Those targets sit alongside CATL’s existing swap plans for smaller vehicles, which include4,000 charging and battery-swapping stations for light commercial fleets across China in 2026.
CATL also launched ultra-light, ultra-thin rear-mounted batteries
CATL also launched ultra-light, ultra-thin rear-mounted batteries and chassis-mounted batteries for short- and long-haul trucks, without giving specifications.
Outside China, CATL and Octopus Energy have formedSwaptopus, a joint venture to build battery-swapping hubs for electric trucks in Europe, with the first UK sites due to open in 2027.
Swapping is also being tested in mining, whereSPIC Qiyuan, part of the State Power Investment Corporation (SPIC), and Rio Tinto are trialling eight battery-swap electric haul trucks until the end of 2026.
Range under heavy loads remains a challenge for the sector. A Faraday Institution report in March found thatbattery electric trucks could become aovided charging networks are built at depots and along routes
CATLTrucksheavy-duty vehiclesHeavy-duty EVChinaBattery swappingbattery
