CATL unveiled its Dual-Electric Range Extender in China on October 20, alongside plans to grow its QiJi battery-swapping ecosystem for heavy-duty trucks. The system combines a bottom-mounted, swappable battery of either 432 kWh or 513 kWh with a fixed 77 kWh battery that acts as a reserve. CATL says the backup pack allows the main battery to be discharged to 5% state of charge before the system switches over. A battery swap takes five minutes, and the company estimates the setup could save operators more than 460,000 yuan (about US$68,700) against diesel trucks over three years.
CATL said more than 430,000 electric heavy trucks already use its batteries, accounting for over 70% of the global market. In China, electric heavy-truck penetration rose from 5.2% in 2022 to 50.28% in September 2026. The QiJi network currently has five operating trunk routes with more than 5 million km of stable operation. CATL aims for 900 swap stations by the end of 2026 and 2,000 by 2027, with a longer-term goal of 10,000. Its standardized 432 kWh and 513 kWh battery blocks are matched to 3,800 mm and 4,200 mm wheelbases, respectively.
At the launch, CATL signed agreements with 14 partners, including SF Express, ZTO Express and YTO Express, for an initial 13,000 units. It also presented four Tectrans II variants: lightweight and slim-pack versions for specific work needs, a short-wheelbase option for mountainous or port operations, and a long-range model with 760 kWh, more than 600 km of range and 800V support.