The world’s largest battery maker, CATL, has combined swappable battery packs with an onboard range-extender system to solve range anxiety in heavy-duty electric trucks. Drivers on long-haul routes often pull into stations while their packs still hold substantial power.

The new dual-battery design runs two independent energy systems inside a single vehicle. This allows haulers to use virtually all stored power without the risk of stopping short of a charger.

“The combination of the dual-electric range extension battery and QIJI battery swapping offers the best solution for electrifying heavy-duty trucks,” said Jesse Yang, CEO of QIJI Energy.

The core technology uses a setup called a “1+X” architecture. Instead of relying on a conventional fuel-burning combustion generator for range extension, the powertrain splits work between two entirely electric battery packs.

The main battery rests in the truck chassis and is built to be swapped out quickly at robotic stations. Behind the driver cabin sits a secondary 77 kWh battery capable of 3C fast-charging, which acts as a permanent onboard reserve.

Having two separate power systems fundamentally changes how the vehicle manages electricity. In conventional operations, drivers rarely use the bottom 30 percent of their battery capacity. With a secondary pack always on board to act as an energy cushion, the main battery can safely be drained much deeper.

Drivers can run the primary chassis pack down until less than 5 percent of its charge remains. This lifts the total depth of discharge from roughly 70 percent to more than 95 percent, squeezing far more work out of every charge cycle.

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