Gasgoo Munich-SAIC Maxus, Zhuoyu Technology, Contemporary Amperex Energy Service Technology Ltd. (CAES), and EthanGlobal have formed a strategic partnership in Beijing to deploy 50,000 autonomous logistics vehicles equipped with battery-swapping capabilities. The agreement, reached on September 20, coincided with the official launch of "Taichu," a cloud-based AI dispatch hub for urban logistics.
Image Credit: Zhuoyu Technology
Under the cooperation framework, each partner assumes a distinct role across the supply chain. SAIC Maxus will supply autonomous commercial vehicles tailored for urban logistics scenarios. Zhuoyu Technology will provide an integrated software-hardware autonomous driving solution; its hardware fuses perception, positioning, and computing into a single automotive-grade module, while the software utilizes end-to-end, data-driven technology that operates without prior mapping and works out of the box. CATL’s wholly-owned subsidiary, Contemporary Amperex Energy Service Technology Ltd. (CAES), will contribute battery assets and standardized battery-swapping solutions, while EthanGlobal will deliver full-chain operational capabilities, including multi-party capacity access and platform-based dispatch fulfillment.
This collaboration brings together vehicle manufacturing, autonomous driving technology, battery-swapping infrastructure, and full-chain operations, aiming to deploy autonomous logistics vehicles at a scale of tens of thousands. Putting 50,000 battery-swapping autonomous vehicles into service will enable 7×24-hour continuous operation. By integrating battery replenishment, manufacturing, and autonomous driving with the swapping network, the model aggregates supply chain resources via an operations platform to drive the large-scale adoption of autonomous last-mile delivery in cities.
Looking ahead, the four parties plan to jointly explore the research and development of fully autonomous, high-capacity battery-swapping models, shifting from adapting existing vehicles to defining the next generation. They also aim to explore new models for international expansion, providing a blueprint for exporting the technology, operations, and ecosystem of urban autonomous last-mile delivery to global markets.
