Summary
Battery capacity may no longer be a case of "bigger is better," nor will it simply shift to "smaller is better."
While electric heavy trucks are increasingly equipped with larger batteries, another group of companies has begun researching how to install fewer batteries.
In 2026, 600kWh is gradually becoming a key product specification for long-range heavy trucks, with 800kWh and even 1000kWh models appearing one after another.
CATL's Tianxing long-range products have already introduced a 1000kWh solution, while automakers such as XCMG and Yutong are also moving toward the 800kWh level.
However, on the other end of the spectrum, Qiantu Holdings adopts a side-mounted battery swap scheme with single packs of only 54kWh; Beiben Heavy Truck launched a 452kWh sodium-ion battery heavy truck; and the sodium-ion battery tractor unit developed by CAS Haina in cooperation with FAW Jiefang carries only 339kWh of batteries.
Notably, on October 20, CATL also added a mere 77kWh onboard range-extender battery for heavy trucks, attempting to change the operational model where traditional battery-swap vehicles must retain a large amount of reserve power.
These explorations span lithium iron phosphate (LFP), sodium-ion batteries, and various technical paths including charging, fixed battery swapping, and mobile battery swapping, all pointing to the same question: For production tools like heavy trucks, how much battery should be installed to maximize vehicle profitability?
Does Installing Fewer Batteries Earn Over RMB 100,000 More Annually?
The first to calculate this equation were some smaller-scale heavy truck battery-swapping enterprises.
Recently, Bao Xudong, founder of Qiantu Holdings, revealed in a media interview that the company chose the route of side-mounted multi-pack battery swapping, with individual battery packs containing only 54kWh. The total energy capacity is about half that of CATL's standard heavy truck battery swap solution.
Qiantu primarily targets short-haul heavy-load scenarios such as mines, construction sites, sand and gravel, and slag transport.
Vehicles in these sectors often operate at high frequency on relatively fixed routes, having low demand for hundreds of kilometers of range but being highly sensitive to procurement price, effective payload, and replenishment efficiency.
In scenario calculations for two projects—sand and gravel mining in Quanzhou, Fujian, and cement mixing in Wuxi—Qiantu claimed that its small-battery configuration could reduce vehicle procurement costs by approximately CNY 120,000 compared to large-battery solutions, increase cargo carrying capacity by about 1.6 tons per trip, and potentially add over CNY 100,000 in annual transportation revenue per vehicle.
According to the company's model, the internal rate of return for the small-battery solution can reach twice that of traditional solutions.
However, these results remain project-based estimates and lack independent verification from long-term fleet operation data.
The key to this solution lies in changing the battery from a fixed, large-capacity configuration to multiple side-mounted battery packs that can be flexibly arranged based on actual transportation mileage.
Side-mounted battery swapping is not new technology. Companies such as Hongtu Smart Energy have been exploring side-box battery swapping for years, recently continuing to apply it to urban logistics.
Li Jiang, Chairman of Hongtu Smart Energy, disclosed that the company currently has over 300 urban logistics vehicles operating online for an e-commerce platform in Shanghai through outsourced capacity services. Compared to heavy trucks in fixed-route mining areas, urban delivery vehicles have dispersed routes and complex scheduling. The value of battery swapping here mainly manifests in reducing replenishment waiting time and improving fleet utilization rates.
Hongtu's current main business remains urban logistics light trucks, so its scale cannot directly serve as a commercialization case for heavy trucks. However, this operational logic shares commonalities:
The battery capacity required for a vehicle depends on route length, work shifts, and replenishment conditions, rather than being designed simply based on maximum range.
In 2026, an independent study provided further quantitative evidence.
The report "Green Card Pioneer Scenarios: Research on the Application Progress of Electric Heavy Trucks in the Steel Industry," jointly released by the Asian Clean Air Center and the School of Environment at Tsinghua University, compared the economics of different energy capacity models such as 282kWh, 423kWh, and 600kWh in steel transportation scenarios.
The study found that in intra-factory short-distance shuttling, "small capacity + battery swapping" offers a clear cost advantage; while in short-distance connection scenarios, "medium-small capacity + charging" may be more economical.
According to the report's model, the purchase cost of a 282kWh charging heavy truck is approximately CNY 400,000, while a 600kWh model costs about CNY 550,000, a difference of CNY 150,000.
For 600kWh models, even if energy costs decrease, the loss in payload caused by additional battery weight still affects ton-kilometer costs. In optimized scenarios eliminating this loss, related costs can drop further.
The report also calculated that under specific energy cost optimization conditions, the total cost of ownership for 282kWh and 423kWh models can be 2%–9% lower than diesel heavy trucks.
The most competitive aspect of the small-battery solution is that vehicles do not need to continuously pay for battery procurement, payload losses, and asset depreciation for the portion of range that is rarely used daily.
CATL, Gotion High-Tech, and CAS Haina Are Redesigning Energy Capacity
In October this year, CATL's Tianxing II "Electric-Electric Range Extension" heavy truck solution offered another direction worth noting.
This system uses two independent batteries: the main drive battery is a bottom-swap pack of 432kWh or 513kWh, adopted via a leasing model;
The other is a 77kWh range-extender battery purchased by the user, which stays with the vehicle long-term and provides power when the main battery's charge is insufficient.
It must be emphasized that77kWh is only one small battery; the total vehicle energy capacity remains 509kWh or 590kWh. CATL did not compress the total energy capacity of the heavy truck to 77kWh.
This design changes the usage mode and asset ownership of the batteries.
Traditional battery-swap heavy trucks often need to reserve about 30% remaining charge to ensure the vehicle can reach a swap station.
CATL hopes that with the 77kWh backup battery providing a safety net, the State of Charge (SOC) of the main drive swap battery upon returning to the station can be reduced to below 5%, releasing previously unused capacity.
Meanwhile, the main battery is held by the battery asset owner, while the backup battery circulates with the vehicle, meaning owners do not need to purchase the entire large-capacity battery set upfront. The company stated that this solution went into mass production upon release, with initial signed orders reaching 13,000 units, involving clients such as China Post, SF Express, and STO Express. However, signed order volumes still need to be distinguished from actual vehicle deliveries.
CATL also launched a rear-mounted ultra-light version of heavy truck batteries, reducing weight by about half a ton at the same energy capacity. According to their calculations, the increased payload capacity can bring approximately CNY 12,000 in additional annual revenue per vehicle.
This indicates that there are two paths to reducing the battery burden: decreasing capacity, or increasing the energy density and integration efficiency of the battery system while maintaining capacity.
Gotion High-Tech is attempting to make battery capacity more flexible.
In May this year, Gotion launched the "Dianlala" mobile storage-charging-swapping system, supporting battery packs in the 400–1000kWh series; at the Hannover Commercial Vehicle Exhibition in September, it further demonstrated a side-swap solution linking four packs across the tractor and trailer, supporting combined configurations of 430kWh and 860kWh, and held a customer vehicle delivery ceremony for the first battery-swap heavy truck on the Europe-Africa transport corridor.
Gotion is not purely pursuing small batteries. Its solutions still cover large-capacity, long-range needs. The core innovation lies in modular battery packs, free combination of energy capacity, and mobile battery swapping systems that reduce the need for fixed station construction.
This also implies that in the future, a heavy truck may no longer be limited to a single battery configuration determined at factory exit, but instead adjust battery capacity and usage modes based on transport routes, distance, and replenishment conditions.
In the field of sodium-ion batteries, the exploration of "installing fewer batteries" is even more direct.
In March this year, CAS Haina released the MP200 commercial vehicle sodium-ion battery, proposing an operational strategy of "fewer batteries, fast charging, and multiple uses."
Disclosed tests in three locations showed that sodium batteries have an average energy consumption per kilometer 15% lower than comparable lithium battery models under specific working conditions. Combined with the advantages of depth of discharge, the range in typical scenarios with the same nominal energy capacity can increase by about 20%.
In June, FAW Jiefang and CAS Haina completed full-condition testing of the 339kWh sodium-ion battery J6P heavy truck. The test lasted nearly seven months, accumulating over 15,000 kilometers of driving; in August, the sodium-ion battery swap tractor unit developed by both parties entered the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) announcement list.
On October 28, Beiben Heavy Truck showcased a 452kWh sodium-ion battery heavy truck in Wuhai.
According to simulation results published by the company, its range reaches 301 kilometers, higher than the 283 kilometers of the control LFP model with 530kWh, and proposes supplementing range through 1–2 fast charges during the day.
This Beiben model has already secured 30 letters of intent, with plans to complete prototype testing in early 2027.
For sodium-ion batteries, this path holds special significance.
Currently, the system energy density of sodium-ion batteries is generally lower than advanced LFP solutions. Simply increasing energy capacity tends to amplify issues related to vehicle self-weight and space occupation.
Therefore, CAS Haina chooses to leverage characteristics such as high rate capability, wide temperature range, and high-frequency cycling, attempting to reduce the battery capacity vehicles need to carry long-term by increasing usage frequency.
However, sodium-ion batteries do not necessarily mean small batteries. The Tongli Heavy Truck sodium-ion battery mining truck delivered to Tangshan Sanyou Mine this year is equipped with a 676kWh battery.
How much electricity different vehicles should ultimately carry still depends on the transportation task.
As electric heavy trucks move from mines and ports to highway trunk lines, battery capacity may no longer be a case of "bigger is better," nor will it simply shift to "smaller is better."
The more valuable capability in the future is finding the optimal energy distribution for each transport route based on distance, cargo weight, attendance rate, and replenishment network.
Over the past few years, heavy truck battery companies have constantly pushed toward 600kWh, 800kWh, and even 1000kWh. The next phase of competition may need to answer another question:
Without reducing transportation income, how many fewer batteries can a heavy truck carry?