CATL will build 300 quick battery swap stations for electric trucks by the end of the year
Chinese battery maker CATL said it will build the first 300 quick battery swap stations for heavy-duty electric trucks by the end of 2025.
Here's What We Know
CATL's new replacement battery pack for electric trucks has been labelled "75#". It is designed according to the same principles as the "20#" and "25#" replacement battery packs for passenger cars introduced in December. Incidentally, for electric passenger cars, the company intends to launch 1,000 quick battery swap stations by the end of the year.
The infrastructure side of the issue is handled by Qiji Energy, a subsidiary of CATL established in June 2023. Its task is to develop replacement battery technology in the freight transport segment. It was previously reported that the modules will have a capacity of 171 kW∙h and will be based on CATL's LFP cells, but the exact characteristics of the new units have not yet been confirmed. A varying number of these modules can be fitted to vehicles depending on their needs.
The system is already supported by more than 30 heavy-duty electric vehicle models from a dozen Chinese manufacturers. Each standard Qiji Energy quick battery swap station is designed to hold 24 battery packs.
CATL estimates that by 2030, a third of China's electric vehicle power demand will be met by a combination of quick battery swaps, home and public charging. The company claims that with an annual mileage of 100,000 kilometres, an electric cargo truck with the Qiji Energy battery swap system saves up to 60,000 yuan (about €7,500) compared to its diesel counterpart.
Source: Cnevpost
