On Monday, CATL announced that it will develop swappable batteries specifically designed for electric heavy trucks, with plans to establish corresponding swap facilities in collaboration with partners. This initiative falls under the new brand “QIJI” and represents China’s largest battery maker’s latest investment in this technology. Deepway, an electric truck startup supported by Baidu, revealed to Chinese media outlet Caixin that its electric trailers could achieve a travel distance of up to 300 kilometers (186 miles) using three of CATL’s iron-based battery packs, each with a capacity of 171 kilowatt-hours (kWh). For comparison, Tesla’s Semi features a 900 kWh battery pack and a driving range of 500 miles. Both CATL and Tesla incorporate their battery packs in the truck chassis, positioning them beneath the cabin at the base of the vehicles. [Caixin, in Chinese]
