New-energy heavy-duty trucks逆势 capture over half the market; the fuel-vs-electric battle extends to trunk-line transportation.

XCMG’s Hanjing, launched in September, focuses on megawatt-level ultra-fast charging; the company claims it can recharge battery levels from 20% to 80% in under 20 minutes. In October, Volvo FH Aero—debuted in the Chinese market—continues optimizing fuel efficiency: Volvo states it achieves 4% lower fuel consumption than the FH TC model with identical configurations. On one hand, efforts aim to shorten energy replenishment time; on the other, they seek further fuel savings. Both powertrain types compete for high-mileage, high-utilization transport demands. While diesel-powered vehicles continue evolving, electric trucks must convince customers that energy savings offset higher upfront purchase costs, energy-refueling expenses, and payload penalties. These trade-offs are already evident in real-world operations. A study jointly released this year by the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) and the China Automotive Technology and Research Center (CATARC), based on a survey of an automotive parts logistics fleet in the Yangtze River Delta region conducted in 2025, found that on routes exceeding 400 km one-way, electric box trucks relying on overnight 60-kW charging at destinations typically require about half a day longer than diesel trucks to complete round-trips. Their maximum effective payload is also reduced by 2.2 tons compared to diesel counterparts. The study calculates total cost of ownership (TCO) per ton-kilometer over a five-year holding period: under ideal conditions—including annual mileage of 140,000 km, full coverage by 240-kW chargers, same-day round-trip capability, no payload loss, and no low-temperature battery degradation—electric trucks’ TCO is approximately 19% lower than diesel trucks’. However, if annual mileage drops to 32,000 km while other conditions remain unchanged, electric trucks instead incur roughly a 2% cost disadvantage. For fleets, the more kilometers driven, the greater the opportunity for energy savings to recoup initial investment. Fixed routes, stable cargo volumes, and predictable refueling times thus directly influence vehicle replacement decisions. By contrast, vehicles operating on frequently changing routes—or those needing to locate charging points ad hoc after receiving orders—must bear additional scheduling costs. When charging infrastructure availability misaligns with departure schedules, vehicles may miss an entire trip; increasing battery capacity eases range anxiety but adds weight and capital tie-up. Electrifying trunk-line transport therefore requires coordinated improvements across vehicle design, energy replenishment infrastructure, and operational conditions. CATL’s ‘Tianxing II’ heavy-duty truck ‘electric–electric range-extending’ solution, unveiled on October 20, responds precisely to these challenges: the primary drive battery at the chassis base is offered via leasing, while a supplementary 77-kWh onboard battery provides backup power. CATL states that, when integrated with Qiji battery-swapping stations, full battery replacement can be completed within five minutes.

CATL launches Tianxing II ‘electric–electric range-extending’ solution; first batch of 13,000 heavy-duty trucks signed under cooperation agreements.

‘Electric–electric range-extending’ splits the original integrated chassis-swap battery system into two components: (A) a chassis-mounted battery pack available via leasing, and (B) a portable, vehicle-mounted range-extender battery pack. This decouples vehicle and battery ownership: buyers need not purchase the battery outright at acquisition, bringing upfront investment close to that of diesel heavy-duty trucks. At the launch event, CATL signed cooperative agreements with multiple logistics, steel, and express delivery enterprises—including China Post, SF Express, STO Express, and YTO Express—with an initial order commitment of 13,000 units. The pace of heavy-duty truck electrification is indeed accelerating. According to data provided by CATL, the penetration rate of electric heavy-duty trucks rose from 5.2% in 2022 to 28.9% in 2025, reaching 50.28% in a single month—September 2026. Wang Jingzhu, Executive President of CATL’s Heavy Industry Business Unit, notes that drivers and fleet operators prioritize three factors above all: payback speed, profitability, and residual value—summarized as ‘fast payback, high earnings, strong residual value.’ The primary role of the range-extender pack is to serve as a safety net. Conventional battery-swap trucks typically return to depots with state-of-charge (SOC) levels around 30%; with the range-extending system, the chassis-swap battery can be deeply discharged, lowering return SOC to below 5%. When battery levels drop low, the system seamlessly switches—without driver awareness—to the range-extender battery, preventing unplanned stoppages due to depleted power. Official calculations estimate that, assuming daily transport distance of 400 km, a single vehicle saves approximately ¥130,000 annually on energy replenishment versus diesel trucks; over three years, its total cost of ownership (TCO) is about ¥70,000 lower than that of electric trucks with purchased batteries—and over ¥460,000 lower than diesel heavy-duty trucks. Regarding battery-swapping networks, Qiji emphasizes standardization and network density. At the launch, two standardized battery-swap modules were introduced: the 260# (432 kWh, compatible with vehicles having a 3.8-meter axle distance) and the 300# (513 kWh, compatible with vehicles having a 4.2-meter axle distance).

CATL to Grow E-Truck Business With Battery Upgrades, Swap Sites

Oct 20, 2026

CATL announced battery upgrades and swap station plans for its e-truck business, securing 13,000 truck orders from major logistics companies as the Chinese market expands rapidly.

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