CATL Rolls Out Tectrans II Light Truck Battery with Sub-7-Minute 80% Charge

CATL has unveiled the Tectrans II Ultra-Fast Charging battery for light commercial vehicles, expanding its commercial vehicle electrification strategy beyond heavy-duty trucks into the urban logistics segment.

Alongside the battery, the company introduced a shared ultra-fast charging and battery-swapping station compatible with both passenger vehicles and light commercial vehicles, further broadening its commercial energy ecosystem.

According to CATL, the Tectrans II battery supports peak 8C charging. It charges from 10% to 80% in just 6 minutes 48 seconds, reaching a full charge in approximately 8 minutes 56 seconds. Charging time is now approaching the time required to refuel a conventional gasoline vehicle.

Beyond charging speed, CATL has positioned durability as another key selling point. The battery carries a warranty of up to 10 years or 1M kilometers. By reducing cell internal resistance and optimizing the graphite material structure, CATL says the battery generates less heat during ultra-fast charging while minimizing long-term capacity degradation.

Low-temperature performance also received a significant upgrade. At -20°C, charging takes only about 2 minutes 30 seconds longer than under normal conditions. The improvement is expected to enhance charging efficiency for logistics fleets operating in northern and northwestern China during winter.

CATL also launched a shared ultra-fast charging station designed for both passenger cars and commercial vehicles. The station features high-power chargers tailored for light commercial vehicles. Charging cables have been redesigned to better match the charging-port locations of light trucks and compact commercial vans, reducing parking adjustments and charging time.

The company plans to build about 4K ultra-fast charging stations this year, covering nearly 190 cities across China.

The rollout complements CATL’s heavy-duty truck battery-swapping network. More than 300 battery-swapping stations have already been completed. The company plans to expand that number to over 900 in 2026.

CATL recently partnered with STO Express to deploy battery-swapping heavy-duty trucks on long-haul logistics routes. By 2030, the network aims to cover 150K kilometers of expressways and national highways.

The company’s latest moves point to a dual-track commercial vehicle strategy. Heavy-duty trucks will continue relying primarily on standardized battery swapping, while light commercial vehicles will focus on high-power ultra-fast charging.

The approach aligns with China’s broader commercial vehicle electrification roadmap. Earlier, 11 government agencies, including the Ministry of Transport, proposed raising new-energy heavy-duty truck penetration to 40% by 2030 while building around 3,000 heavy-duty truck charging and battery-swapping stations nationwide.

As infrastructure investment accelerates under policy support, charging efficiency is increasingly becoming a decisive factor in the adoption of electric commercial vehicles.