Shanghai (Gasgoo)- On May 18, CATL and the China Communications and Transportation Association jointly unveiled a new-generation battery swapping ecosystem for heavy-duty trucks at an event in Datong city, Shanxi province. The event marked the official debut of the 75# standardized swapping electric block and an all-scenario chassis-based battery swapping solution.
CATL also announced ambitious targets: by 2030, it aims to establish a nationwide "8 east-west and 10 north-south expressways" battery swapping green network covering 80% of China's trunk logistics capacity, and within the next three years, to push heavy-duty truck electrification to a 50% market penetration rate.
CATL Chairman and CEO Robin Zeng said the heavy-duty truck sector is poised for explosive growth in the next three years amid dual pressures and opportunities of zero-carbon transition and logistics cost reduction. He expects the electrification rate in the segment to reach 50% by then.
According to CATL, the 75# standardized swapping electric block delivers three core advantages: the lowest lifecycle tonne-kilometer cost, industry-leading safety performance, and seamless compatibility with battery swapping models through a high degree of standardization.
The company's QIJI battery swapping solution aims to deliver four major breakthroughs—standardization, cost-efficiency, universal application across use cases, and ecosystem integration. Yang Jun, General Manager of CATL's battery swapping business and CEO of QIJI Energy, said the 75# swapping electric block offers top-tier longevity, supports modular configurations, and reduces costs through chassis-based battery swapping. By decoupling the battery from the vehicle, it also lowers R&D and purchasing costs for OEMs and customers. To date, CATL has partnered with over ten automakers to launch more than 30 chassis-based battery swappable vehicle models.
The Qiji standard battery swap station features adaptive axle distance adjustment and posture control technologies, enabling compatibility with 95% of mainstream heavy-duty truck models. The next-generation super hub station showcased on spot can handle over 700,000 kWh of battery swaps per day.
CATL reaffirmed its commitment to investing heavily in a national trunk line battery swap network. By 2025, the company plans to build 300 battery swap stations across 13 core regions including Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei, the Yangtze River Delta, and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. This includes key trunk routes such as the Cangyu Line, G2 Beijing–Shanghai Expressway, Shanghai–Guangzhou Line, and Shanghai–Chengdu Line. By 2030, the "8 east-west and 10 north-south expressways" battery swap green network will span 150,000 kilometers of highways and national/provincial trunk roads, linking 16 major urban clusters and covering 80% of trunk freight capacity.
