𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

Electric lorries could soon be swapping flat batteries for charged ones in minutes under ambitious plans from Octopus Energy and Chinese battery giant CATL – a move that could give Chinese truck makers an early advantage in Europe.

The two companies have formed a new venture called Swaptopus, which plans to open its first UK battery-swapping hubs in 2027. More than 30 large sites are planned across Europe by 2035, with the companies saying the network could eventually support more than 300,000 electric trucks.

The idea is simple enough. Rather than an electric lorry plugging in for a lengthy charge, it would pull into a hub, have its depleted battery removed and leave with a fully charged replacement. For operators running tight delivery schedules, that could make electric freight far easier to plan around.

It is not just a concept, either. CATL already has its Qiji battery-swapping system working in China, where it has partnered with truck makers on swap-ready vehicles. That could prove significant for Europe, where the technology could give Chinese HGV brands a head start while established European rivals adapt their own trucks.

A CATL spokesperson told The Independent: “For the pilot, we will work with Chinese OEMs as they already have the trucks ready, they just need to finish up the homologation parts so the end of 2027 will be feasible.

“We are speaking with all European OEMs already including DAF, Iveco and Volvo Truck. It will take them some time to adjust the chassis.

“Two Deepway trucks have already arrived in Europe for road testing this month in Hamburg, Germany”

The DeepWay lorries are among Chinese models designed around CATL’s swappable battery system, rather than simply using batteries fixed into the chassis. It means they could potentially be among the first vehicles ready to use the new British network once the necessary approvals are in place.

Volvo, Mercedes-Benz, Scania, MAN and Renault Trucks are all expanding their electric lorry line-ups in Europe, but their current models are built around fixed batteries and charging networks. They cannot simply drive into a Swaptopus site and have their existing packs exchanged without significant re-engineering.

That could create an interesting shift in the truck market. European manufacturers have long dominated the big-lorry business in Britain and across the continent, but Chinese brands with existing CATL-compatible vehicles could be ready to make use of the new infrastructure sooner.

Greg Jackson, CEO and Founder of Octopus Energy Group, said: “Electric trucks already beat diesel on running costs, the challenge is keeping them moving. Battery swapping changes that. Instead of waiting for hours, trucks can be back on the road in minutes.

“By combining Octopus’s software and energy expertise with CATL’s world-class battery technology, we’re making clean freight practical at scale across Europe.”

Dr. Robin Zeng, Chairman and CEO of CATL, said: “Battery swapping will be a significant part of the future of commercial transport. We have field-proven this technology in China, and we are delighted to bring it to the UK and Europe as part of our joint venture with Octopus.

“Together, our expertise in battery swapping, B2G (Battery-to-Grid) and energy storage, paired with Octopus’s AI-powered energy trading and management technologies, will speed up the electrification of road transport across the region.”

The hubs would do more than swap batteries, too. Swaptopus says batteries waiting for their next lorry could charge when electricity is cheaper, then send power back to the grid when demand is high using Vehicle to Grid (V2G) technology.

Octopus and CATL are also looking at ways to expand V2G technology through CATL’s global car-maker partners, with the aim of allowing future electric cars to feed electricity back into the grid during periods of peak demand.

William Rowe, CEO and Founder of Swaptopus, said: “We believe the future of land based transport is electric and autonomous, and battery swapping is a massive part of the enabling infrastructure. Not only does it significantly reduce down time but since the batteries at the swapping stations can be charged and discharged when the grid needs it, they act as a virtual power plant and in turn lower costs for consumers.”

The infrastructure is due to arrive in Britain in 2027, and it now looks likely that Chinese swap-ready trucks will be first in line to make use of it.

China is no stranger to EV battery-swapping. Chinese car company Nio operates a network of thousands of battery swap stations, where EVs can quickly have flat batteries swapped for fully-charged ones, and for which drivers pay a subscription. The EVs can also be plugged in and charged as normal, adding flexibility to how they’re used by their owners.