China opens first battery swap trunk line for new energy heavy-duty trucks

Shanghai (Gasgoo)- The collaboration between CATL and Fujian Expressway Group has resulted in the official launch of China's inaugural long-haul new energy truck battery swapping trunk line, the Ning Xia (Ningde to Xiamen) line along the G15 Shenyang - Haikou Expressway (Shenhai Expressway) on August 24.

DeepWay, a Baidu-backed autonomous driving truck developer, said it had 20 units of the DeepWay Shenxiang Xingchen intelligent new energy heavy-duty truck selected as the preferred vehicles for CATL's "QIJI Energy" battery swapping program on the Ning Xia line to support logistics transportation needs. Additionally, the event showcased the battery swapping process at the CATL's QIJI Energy battery swapping station.

Photo credit: DeepWay

The Ning Xia line of the Shenhai Expressway spans 680 kilometers and houses four battery swapping stations, capable of concurrently servicing over 200 heavy-duty trucks in need of battery swapping and replenishment. This initiative aims to effectively address the "range anxiety" and "recharging anxiety" associated with new energy heavy-duty trucks.

Pioneering bottom-mounted battery swapping technology globally, the DeepWay Shenxiang Xingchen accommodates battery packs under the truck, seamlessly aligning with CATL's "QIJI Energy" product to facilitate a swift 6-minute battery swapping process, said the company. Moreover, this innovative approach liberates cargo space by housing battery packs beneath the truck, increasing cargo volume by 9.6%, effectively resolving the challenge of heavy-duty truck range and operational costs.

Through optimized cruising strategies, the DeepWay Shenxiang Xingchen anticipates the most economical speed range, optimally allocates motor torque, minimizes energy consumption, reduces resource usage, and extends the electric truck's range, the company added. Even on new routes, the model can navigate like an experienced driver, preemptively accelerating on inclines or slowing down on curves to effectively reduce energy consumption.