CATL unveils dual-electric range extension battery for battery-swapping heavy trucks

CATL has unveiled a dual-electric range extension battery designed to make electric heavy-duty trucks more practical and economical. Agreements for 13,000 units were signed at the unveiling.

The main battery is a standardized, chassis-mounted swappable pack from QIJI Energy, CATL’s battery-swapping network for heavy trucks. A range-extension power system behind the cab provides backup power and is equipped with a 77 kWh battery capable of 3C charging. The system uses a “1+X” architecture: the main battery stays compatible with the QIJI swapping network, and the range-extension battery can be customized for energy density, cold-climate operation or power. The two batteries can be developed and upgraded independently.

CATL says drivers of conventional battery-swapping trucks often return for a swap with unused capacity because they are reluctant to discharge the battery deeply. The backup battery increases the main battery’s depth of discharge from about 70% to over 95%, so the main battery can be returned at less than 5% state of charge. At that point, CATL’s switching technology transfers power delivery to the range-extension battery within milliseconds.

The range-extension battery is independently owned and stays with the vehicle throughout its service life. The main battery can be leased according to seasonal freight demand. Seasonal leasing is designed to help fleets reduce rental costs during quieter periods.

QIJI has introduced 260# (432 kWh) and 300# (513 kWh) standardized swapping blocks alongside its existing 75# block, to accommodate a wider range of truck models and operating conditions. A swap takes five minutes, and QIJI says its first-time success rate is 99.99%.

Under QIJI’s battery-as-a-service (BaaS) model, customers pay for the net energy charged instead of the energy discharged, so they retain the value of energy recovered through regenerative braking. QIJI says this billing model reduces battery rental costs per kWh by up to 20% for users on basic plans.

“The combination of the dual-electric range extension battery and QIJI battery swapping offers the best solution for electrifying heavy-duty trucks,” said Jesse Yang, CEO of QIJI Energy.

Source: CATL