Chinese battery manufacturer CATL has unveiled its latest commercial vehicle battery platform, with the new Tectrans II designed to deliver up to 1,000 km of range for heavy-duty trucks.
The battery was unveiled at IAA Transportation 2026 in Hanover, Germany, and has been developed as a modular platform for different commercial vehicle applications and operating requirements.
CATL says the platform supports different battery configurations to meet varying energy capacity and payload requirements, while being compatible with both e-axle and central-drive architectures.
Designed for different truck applications
Tectrans II can also switch between charging and battery swapping, giving operators greater flexibility depending on their operating requirements.
CATL has standardised the battery’s external dimensions, electrical interfaces and communication protocols. According to the company, this allows battery technologies and pack designs to evolve without requiring major changes to the vehicle platform.
The modular approach is also intended to reduce vehicle development times for manufacturers. CATL says it can shorten development cycles by up to 50per cent and reduce research and development costs by 60–70per cent.
Up to 1,000 km of range
The maximum configuration of the Tectrans II is claimed to provide up to 1,000 km of driving range, while megawatt-level fast charging can take the battery to 80per cent in 25 minutes.
The battery has a gravimetric energy density of 170 Wh/kg, which CATL says is around 13per cent above the industry average.
At the same battery capacity, the higher energy density can allow a vehicle to carry approximately 0.6 tonnes of additional payload.
CATL has also incorporated a full-tab low-impedance design, which it says delivers 96per cent system round-trip efficiency. The company says this can reduce charging losses and increase the amount of usable energy available during operations.
Built for long-term operation
Tectrans II has been engineered for a 12-year, 1.5-million-kilometre service life while retaining 70per cent of its capacity, according to CATL.
The battery incorporates physical protection against impacts and corrosion, alongside a maintenance-focused design.
CATL says the system incorporates architecture redundancy, precise fault diagnosis and cybersecurity protection. Independent battery management system control can isolate a failed branch while allowing the remaining branches to continue supplying power.
The battery also uses insulation fault-location technology to distinguish whether an insulation issue originates in the battery or another part of the vehicle, which CATL says can help speed up troubleshooting.
Targeting commercial vehicle electrification
CATL Executive President of Overseas Business Akin Li said commercial vehicle electrification represented a new phase of the global energy transition.
“Commercial vehicle electrification is emerging as the third wave of the global energy transition,” Mr Li said.
“Across products, energy, services and ecosystem, CATL is poised to work with partners around the world to catch this third wave.”
The company also signed a memorandum of understanding with DHL Group at IAA Transportation 2026 to explore the development of green freight corridors across Europe, combining DHL’s logistics expertise with CATL’s battery and electrification technologies.
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