For 53-year-old lorry driver Wang Bing, the daily 500-kilometre (310-mile) round trip between Haikou and Dongfang on Hainan island is no longer defined by lengthy charging stops. Five years after moving to an electric fleet, he recently upgraded to a truck equipped with swappable battery technology. Where he previously spent 90 minutes tethered to a charging cable, he can now swap a depleted battery for a fresh one in about five minutes. “When my battery runs low, I just drive my truck into a battery-swapping station to get a fully charged one,” he explains, noting that he does not even have to leave his cab during the process. But refuelling is not something Wang worries about.
While battery swapping for passenger vehicles has been established in China for nearly a decade—pioneered by companies like Nio—the technology has more recently transitioned to the logistics sector. In 2023, the battery manufacturer CATL introduced a dedicated swapping system for heavy electric lorries through its subsidiary, Qiji Energy. This approach has gained significant traction, especially as electricity proves more cost-effective than diesel. Wang estimates that per-kilometre fuelling costs for his electric truck are roughly 1.1 yuan (12p), compared to over 2 yuan (22p) for a conventional diesel vehicle, potentially saving him more than 20,000 yuan (£2,200) monthly. Where more than 400,000 e-trucks (or over 90% of the global total ) were sold last year, battery swapping is not new in China. This swiftness builds on the cost advantage e-trucks already have over their fossil-fuelled peers when it comes to refuelling.
The operation is highly automated. When a truck reaches a station, cameras identify the vehicle via its number plate, and the system handles the swap without driver intervention. Wei Jiuchun, a test driver for Qiji Energy in Suzhou, notes that the stations are designed to accommodate various heavy-duty models across diverse weather conditions. Beyond fuel savings, the model addresses the high upfront cost of electric trucks; by purchasing the vehicle without the battery and renting the energy unit instead, buyers can bypass a component that typically accounts for 40% of the total purchase price, says Mao Shiyue of the International Council on Clean Transportation. According to when a truck approaches a battery-swapping station, the station’s cameras automatically identify the type of battery it uses by checking its number plate. “All the driver needs to do is to drive the truck into a designated area, and the battery will be swapped completely automatically,”, Wei Jiuchun, 46, a test driver at a Qiji Energy battery-swapping station in Suzhou, east China. A major obstacle for those vehicles’ wider adoption in many parts of the world, the upfront purchase price for an e-truck is significantly higher than for a comparable diesel model.
These stations also offer a strategic benefit for power grid stability.
During periods of high demand, the stored energy in the charging hubs can be returned to the grid to alleviate stress.
However, despite these benefits, the industry faces hurdles.
In 2024, roughly one-third of China’s zero-emission trucks utilized this technology, while most others relied on traditional plug-in methods.
A significant issue remains the lack of industry-wide standardization. “Some batteries are swapped from the chassis, while others are swapped from the top of the truck,” explains Xue Lulu of the World Resources Institute China. Because different manufacturers use varying specifications, drivers are often restricted to the service providers that match their specific vehicle hardware.
Furthermore, real-world efficiency can be hampered by economic pressures. During field research, Xue observed drivers waiting at stations for up to two hours to avoid peak-hour pricing. These delays, combined with the need for specialized infrastructure, mean the technology is currently most successful for companies operating fixed routes between ports, factories, or nearby cities, according to Mao. For unpredictable or long-haul journeys, the charging method remains a developing solution.
CATL is pushing for a rapid scale-up, aiming to operate 900 stations in China by the end of this year and 2,000 by 2027. The company is also looking beyond domestic borders through a partnership with the London-based renewable energy supplier Octopus. Together, they intend to launch a series of “mega hubs” in the UK next year, with plans to expand to a network of more than 30 sites across Europe by 2035. According to the company’s support for the technology is critical for its large-scale rollout,, Phate Zhang, the founder of CnEVPost, a Shanghai-based outlet focusing on EVs.
