CATL launches “Dual-Electric Range Extender” to drive heavy-duty truck electrification

On October 20, CATL officially unveiled its “Dual-Electric Range Extender” technology and the expanding plan for its “QiJi” heavy-duty truck battery-swapping ecosystem.

The “Dual-Electric Range Extender” technology

Over 430,000 electric heavy trucks already run on CATL batteries, representing over 70% of the market in the world. According to CATL, the debate between diesel and electric heavy trucks is effectively over, with the market entering an “electric-versus-electric” competitive phase. Data shows that the penetration rate of electric heavy trucks in China surged from 5.2% in 2022 to 50.28% in September 2026.

The Dual-Electric Range Extender system utilises an “A+B” architecture:

• A (bottom-mounted swappable battery): A swappable, high-capacity battery (432 kWh or 513 kWh) for primary driving, available via a flexible leasing model to reduce upfront costs.

• B (range-extender battery): A fixed battery pack (77 kWh) that provides backup power.

This system allows for deep discharge of the primary battery (down to 5% SOC) without the “range anxiety” associated with traditional electric trucks, as the system switches to the range-extender pack when needed. This approach, combined with a 5-minute battery swap capability, aims to match the operational efficiency of diesel trucks while lowering the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO). CATL estimates that compared to diesel trucks, the E-E system can save users over 460,000 yuan (68,700 USD) over a three-year cycle.

Scaling the “QiJi” ecosystem

To support this technology, CATL is expanding its “QiJi” battery-swapping network. The company has standardised battery blocks into two sizes: the 260# (432 kWh) for 3,800 mm wheelbase vehicles and the 300# (513 kWh) for 4,200 mm wheelbase vehicles.

The infrastructure rollout:

• Current status: 5 major trunk lines are operational, with over 5 million km of stable operation.

• Near-term goal: 900 battery-swapping stations by the end of 2026.

• Long-term goal: 2,000 stations by 2027, covering the national highway network, with an ultimate target of 10,000 stations.

At the launch, CATL signed agreements with 14 major partners, including SF Express, ZTO Express, and YTO Express, with an initial order volume of 13,000 units.

Other Tectrans II products

CATL also introduced four specialised Tectrans II products to address specific operational needs: