CATL Establishes New Joint Venture
Automotive News has learned that on June 22, CATL and Octopus Energy, the UK’s largest energy company, announced the establishment of a joint venture to jointly build a heavy-duty truck battery swapping network in Europe. CATL will introduce its Qiji battery swapping technology to Europe, aiming to enhance the energy replenishment efficiency of heavy trucks and promote the electrification transformation of road freight.
According to the plans of both parties, the project will complete the construction of the first batch of demonstration battery swapping stations in the UK by 2027, prioritizing coverage of major highway trunk lines and core logistics ports. The long-term goal is to expand the battery swapping station network to over 30 stations by 2035, with services extending to Scotland and Wales, ultimately forming a battery swapping infrastructure system covering the core trunk routes across the UK.
Once completed, the network will provide efficient energy replenishment services to major logistics companies, port groups, retail enterprises, and private fleets in the UK. Additionally, both parties plan to integrate battery swapping stations into large distribution centers to expand applications in urban delivery scenarios. This collaboration is seen as a key layout for critical infrastructure in road freight, expected to enhance the absorption capacity of clean electricity in the UK and reduce the transportation sector’s reliance on fossil fuels.
CATL stated that it will continue to work with global partners in the future to provide leading new energy solutions, contributing to the low-carbon transformation of global transportation and energy structures.
