Chinese power battery manufacturer CATL has introduced a battery swap solution for heavy-duty trucks, expanding on its previous release of a similar solution for passenger cars. The new offering, called Qiji Energy, was unveiled during an online launch event. It comprises battery swap stations, battery blocks, and a cloud platform.
The battery swap stations for heavy trucks incorporate adaptive tuning technology and cover the full wheelbase of these vehicles. The battery blocks, powered by CATL’s third-generation lithium iron phosphate batteries, feature advanced heat dispersion technology and boast a cycle life of over 15,000 cycles.
Similar to EVOGO’s Choco-SEB (swapping electric block) introduced last year, the solution for heavy trucks allows for flexible use of the number of batteries in the vehicle. Heavy trucks can opt to use 1-3 electric blocks, with each block having a capacity of 171 kWh. The entire battery replacement process takes only a few minutes.
The cloud platform associated with Qiji Energy assists drivers in making battery swap service appointments, planning driving routes, and enables CATL to manage assets effectively.
CATL claims that adopting a vehicle-battery separation model can result in annual cost savings of between RMB 30,000 (US$4,200) and RMB 60,000 for heavy trucks.
CATL had previously introduced EVOGO, its battery swap brand for passenger cars, primarily targeting the shared mobility market. EVOGO’s battery swap solution encompasses battery blocks, fast battery swap stations, and a dedicated app. The battery block, known as Choco-SEB, is a mass-produced battery designed specifically for shared mobility. It allows consumers to select one or more batteries according to their required mileage.
CATL stated that the Choco-SEB battery block is adaptable to 80 percent of the world’s existing car models and to those developed on all-electric platforms that will be launched within the next three years.
As of June 6, CATL’s EVOGO battery swap service was available in Fuzhou, the capital of Fujian province, with three battery swap stations already operational. The service had already been launched in Xiamen, Hefei, and Guiyang prior to that.
