Swarm Of Electric Trucks Coming To US (Battery Swapping Included?)

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Tesla CEO Elon Musk famously ditched the idea of EV battery swapping back in 2015 after a brief experiment. That pretty much laid the idea to rest here in the US, but other EV stakeholders soldiered on. The latest example is the Australian firm Janus Electric, which is bringing its Class 8 heavy duty electric truck conversions to North America. Janus offers a battery-as-a-service model that includes both charging and swapping…so, is battery swapping finally coming here to the US?.

Swappable Batteries And The Diesel Truck Opportunity

Battery swapping for two-wheelers and larger EVs is commonplace in some overseas markets, with industry leader Nio being one example. So far, though, swapping stations for e-bikes are the only sign of emerging activity in the US.

Musk’s opinion aside, a modern battery swapping station can change a spent electric car battery for a fresh one in just a few minutes, or less time than it takes to drive through an automated car wash. On the other hand, considering today’s EV fast charging technology, battery swapping is somewhat less relevant to passenger cars and other light duty vehicles. Access to home charging is another factor that can limit the appeal of driving to a battery swapping station for a refresh.

Electric trucks, though, are another kettle of fish. Every minute counts in the fast paced transportation industry. Waiting in line for an EV charging station to free up is a non-starter, and then there’s the charging time. Even the much-heralded Tesla Semi Class 8 truck can take hours to reach a full charge overnight, though the truck is reported to achieve 60-70% charge in as little as 30-45 minutes at fast charging stations.

The time factor explains why battery swapping for trucks is appearing in overseas markets. The seeds of change have also begun to sprout up in the US, where the the diesel-to-electric conversion field is beginning to offer some opportunities. Last summer, for example, the US startup Revoy (formerly SixWheels) announced a swappable battery retrofit for Class 8 diesel trucks. The retrofit consists of a battery unit inserted between the cab and the trailer, which can be swapped out in a matter of minutes. The unit does not replace the engine, but it reportedly cuts diesel emissions by up to 85%, with a 95% fuel savings aided by regenerative braking.

The US Army is also dipping a toe in the conversion field with “idling kits,” which are batteries powerful enough to run on-board equipment for military vehicles in near silence, without the giveaway noise and heat signature involved in idling the vehicle’s engine. No word yet on whether or not swap-outs will be part of the picture, but the technology pieces are in place.

Diesel To Electric Trucks, Now With Battery Swapping

So much for the current state of affairs. Last week a full diesel-to-electric conversion opportunity suddenly appeared when the Canadian lithium-ion battery specialist Electrovaya announced a new $26 million diesel-to-electric supply agreement with the Janus that leverages Electrovaya’s proprietary “Infinity Battery Technology, a durable system compatible with daily swapping cycles for Class 8 trucks.

The $26 million agreement represents just the initial phase of orders for the US and Canadian markets. “Electrovaya has also agreed to invest approximately $1.4 million in Janus for up to 4.2 million shares, together with up to 6.3 million warrants,” Electrovaya noted, indicating a long term partnership allowing plenty of room for scaleup.

“Janus’s approach converts existing diesel prime movers to battery-electric operation and pairs them with swappable battery packs and Janus Charge & Change Stations, allowing fleets to exchange batteries in minutes rather than wait hours to recharge, and to electrify without the capital cost of purchasing new trucks,” Electrovaya explained (see additional coverage on CleanTechnica  here and here).

Janus’s footprint in North American is still tiny, at 118 truck conversion orders and commitments in the US and Canada combined. However, the firm’s business with Electrovaya should help ramp up the activity. Janus has already begun deliveries to Electrovaya, and Electrovaya has announced a major expansion of its North American manufacturing footprint. The showpiece is a production facility in Jamestown, New York covering lithium-ion battery cells, modules, and packs.  Start of operations is schedule for sometime next year.

More Electric Trucks For The USA

With US President Donald Trump’s war in Iran continuing to elevate diesel costs, both Janus Electric and Electrovaya smell an end to the partisan war on EVs that rocked the US market after Trump took office in January of 2025. “Electrovaya’s expanding North American manufacturing capabilities will be important as we scale,” said Janus CEO and Managing Director Ben Hutt in a press statement.

“The investment is a strong vote of confidence in our technology and approach to electrifying heavy transport,” Hutt added.

The CEO of Electrovaya, Dr. Raj Das Gupta, also underscored the potential for rapid scaleup. “Janus has developed a practical solution to one of the major challenges facing heavy transport, enabling diesel-powered trucks to be converted to electric without compromising their commercial operations,” Gupta emphasized.

“Our strategic investment, together with the warrants, aligns us closely with Janus’s long-term growth,” Gupta also explained, with warrants referring to up to 6.3 million in contracts for future stock transactions.

Oh, Canada!

If you’re wondering how much traction Electrovaya and Janus will gain in the US electric truck conversion space, that’s a good question considering Trump’s on-again, off-again trade wars with the upstairs neighbors.

The factory in New York State should help push matters along. As if on cue, over the weekend the White House also signaled that Trump is suddenly willing to call off his tariff dogs, potentially leading to a trade deal with Canda that could help accelerate activity in the US electric truck conversion field, among other areas.

On the other hand, the negotiations are described as achieving an early stage “concept” of a deal, which makes it seem more like a weak effort to gin up voter support for the Republican ticket ahead of Election Day on November 3. The concept of a deal could just as easily de-materialize by the morning of November 4.

Deal or no deal, Trump is scheduled to leave office in January of 2029 at the latest — peacefully this time, one hopes — opening up space for a new era of stability and mutual benefit in US-Canada trade relations.

In the meantime, keep an eye on Electrovaya for more activity in the electrification field, with or without help from the US market. In addition to supplying batteries for electric truck conversion, the company anticipates business in the fields of material handling, robotics, defense, and AI data center infrastructure.

Photo: The Australian firm Janus Electric has hooked up with Canada’s Electrovaya to accelerate the electric truck conversion field in North America, regardless of the sharp U-turn in US electrification policy (cropped, courtesy of Janus).