Truck lithium batteries: technology iteration and scenario development drive the electrification of heavy trucks into a new era

Under the dual traction of the in-depth advancement of the "dual carbon" strategy and the logistics industry's need to reduce costs and increase efficiency, the electrification of heavy trucks has fully entered a period of large-scale growth dominated by market demand from the initial stage of policy guidance. As the core power hub of new energy heavy trucks, truck lithium batteries rely on technological iteration to break through scenario bottlenecks and rely on model innovation to reconstruct the industrial ecology. They are accelerating the rewriting of the heavy truck market competition landscape and providing core support for the green transformation of the transportation field. As a key node in industry transformation, 2026 will see the truck lithium battery market usher in the triple changes of trunk line penetration, scenario refinement, and intelligent management, opening a new chapter of high-quality development.
1. Technological innovation: multi-dimensional breakthroughs to solve the core pain points of heavy truck operations

The high-intensity, multiple working conditions, and long-cycle operating characteristics of heavy trucks place stringent requirements on the capacity, power, safety, and lifespan of lithium batteries that far exceed those of passenger cars. In recent years, leading companies have continued to break through performance boundaries through material improvement, integration optimization and intelligent control technology innovation, and gradually solved the three core pain points of heavy load, battery life and energy replenishment.

1. Performance indicators continue to rise, and full-scenario adaptation capabilities are upgraded.

Energy density and cruising range have simultaneously broken through. The single energy density of mainstream lithium iron phosphate power batteries has reached 220Wh/kg. The CATL long-range heavy-duty truck battery pack has achieved a 1000-degree ultra-large power configuration, which can support the cruising range of heavy trucks to 800 kilometers, meeting the needs of medium and long-distance light cargo transportation. Life span indicators continue to set new records. CATL's Tianxing heavy-duty commercial vehicle series has launched a long-life version of the battery, achieving an ultra-long warranty commitment of 15 years and 3 million kilometers, far exceeding the industry average of 8 years and 1.2 million kilometers, significantly reducing the entire life cycle costs of logistics companies. For harsh working conditions such as mining areas and construction sites, the upgraded Taishan architecture special battery for construction machinery has 4 times the safety protection capability, can achieve 500,000 kilometers of safe operation without leakage, and adapts to the high-intensity operation requirements of 100-ton mining trucks.

2. Two parallel lines of energy replenishment technology, taking into account both efficiency and flexibility.

Supercharging technology has entered the megawatt era. CATL's second-generation Shenxing supercharging battery achieves 4C supercharging capability. The peak recharging speed can meet the needs of heavy trucks to recharge 60% SOC in 12 minutes and 240 kilometers of battery life in 15 minutes. The Ruipula Junchenxing supercharged LFP-268Ah battery also supports maximum continuous 4C supercharging, accurately matching the timeliness needs of trunk logistics. The standardization process of battery swap modes is accelerating. CATL's Qiji battery swap solution relies on the 75# standardized battery swap block and is compatible with more than 95% of mainstream heavy-duty truck models through stepless wheelbase adjustment and attitude adaptive technology. The battery swap station is equipped with 24 standardized batteries to achieve a 5-minute fully automatic battery swap process. Projects such as Weiqiao in Shandong and Yantian Port in Shenzhen have verified its economic advantage of "same price for electricity". The two energy replenishment modes develop collaboratively, forming a complementary pattern of "overcharging and adapting to main lines and battery replacement coverage scenarios".

3. Intelligent management and control and integrated technology optimization to improve operational reliability

The battery management system (BMS) has been upgraded to high precision and intelligence. Through real-time monitoring of multi-dimensional parameters such as voltage, current, and temperature, combined with algorithm optimization, it can achieve "0" attenuation in the first year, and increase battery life by 18% in low-temperature environments, effectively alleviating the pain points of winter operations in northern regions. Integration technology continues to iterate, and CTP (battery to pack) and CTB (battery to body) technologies are widely used. Yiwei Lithium can increase the stiffness of battery packs by 15% through global foaming + CTP technology, and at the same time shorten the installation time from 1 hour to 5 minutes, significantly improving production efficiency. SPIC's 120-ton pure electric mining truck is also equipped with self-developed smart security systems and braking energy recovery technology, which not only ensures operational safety, but also further reduces energy consumption, achieving a 40% reduction in energy consumption compared with traditional diesel vehicles.

2. Market structure: explosive growth in scale, restructuring and upgrading of the competitive landscape

Benefiting from performance improvements, cost reductions and policy support, the market penetration rate of new energy heavy trucks continues to rise, which directly drives the surge in demand for truck lithium batteries. The market size has leapt from the GWh level to the hundreds of GWh level. The competitive landscape presents the characteristics of head concentration and segmentation breakthroughs.

1. The market scale is expanding rapidly and the growth momentum continues to strengthen.

In the past three years, the average annual compound growth rate of domestic new energy heavy-duty truck battery installations has exceeded 60%, rising rapidly from about 13GWh to 58GWh in 2025. It is expected to exceed 80GWh in 2026, and is expected to reach more than 160GWh in 2030, forming a 100-billion-level upstream supporting market. Sales volume and penetration rate are increasing simultaneously. In 2025, the sales volume of new energy heavy trucks is expected to reach 330,000 units, with a penetration rate of over 18%. Leading OEMs such as Dongfeng, Jiefang, and Heavy Duty Truck have all set a penetration rate goal of exceeding 30% in 2026. The penetration rate will be close to 35% in 2027, and is expected to reach 65% in 2030. New energy vehicles will gradually become the dominant force in the heavy truck market. The regional distribution shows cluster characteristics. The five provinces of Hebei, Shandong, Jiangsu, Guangdong, and Henan together contribute 61.7% of the country's installed capacity. The three major metropolitan areas of Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei, Yangtze River Delta, and Pearl River Delta account for more than 53%. Energy-rich provinces such as Inner Mongolia and Shanxi are growing rapidly, with annual growth rates exceeding 70%.

2. The competitive landscape is reshaped and scenario-based capabilities become the core barrier.

Market competition has shifted from single-scale competition to scenario-based solution competition. The previous monopoly of CR3, which was as high as 95%, is gradually loosening. CR3 is expected to drop to 85% in 2025, and companies with differentiated technologies and scenario adaptation capabilities are accelerating to break through. CATL occupies a dominant position in the market with its full range of product matrix and ecological resource advantages. Heavy truck battery orders in 2025 will exceed 20GWh. Qiji's battery replacement solution has been applied on a large scale in trunk logistics, port transportation and other scenarios; Yiwei Lithium Energy is deeply involved in the business In the car field for ten years, it has served more than 80% of the leading OEMs and ranks second in market share. By focusing on battery swapping and main line overcharging scenarios, Ruipu Lanjun will increase its installed capacity by more than 170% year-on-year in 2025, ranking among the forefront of the industry in the battery swapping heavy truck segment. At the same time, battery companies and OEMs are deeply bound to jointly develop chassis battery-swapping models. More than 30 adapted models have been launched, forming a collaborative development ecosystem.

3. Differentiation of technical routes, lithium iron phosphate dominates diversified supplementation

Lithium iron phosphate still occupies an absolutely dominant position, accounting for 89.3% of the installed capacity in the field of new energy heavy trucks in 2024. Its high safety, long cycle life and cost advantages perfectly meet the needs of commercial vehicles. Lithium iron manganese phosphate is accelerating its penetration as an upgrade route. It can achieve a 15%-20% increase in energy density by increasing the voltage platform and improve low-temperature performance, becoming a mainstream choice for mid-to-high-end models. Sodium-ion batteries are gradually being implemented in start-stop power supply and other subdivided scenarios. The total life cycle cost of CATL's sodium-based 24V start-stop battery is 61% lower than that of lead-acid batteries. Solid-state batteries and hydrogen fuel cells are in the pilot verification stage and are expected to be used in small batches in specific heavy truck scenarios after 2028, forming a complementary pattern of multiple technology routes.

2. In-depth exploration of scenarios: implementation of customized solutions and release of value in all fields

The application of truck lithium batteries has shifted from general supply to scenario-based customization. Based on the demand characteristics of different operating scenarios, battery companies and OEMs have launched exclusive solutions to achieve a win-win situation of environmental protection and economic benefits, and accelerate the penetration of electric heavy trucks in all fields.

1. Special scenarios: ultimate protection adapted to harsh working conditions

In the mining transportation scenario, SPIC's 120-ton pure electric mining truck is equipped with a large-capacity lithium iron phosphate battery pack, which can work continuously for more than 5 hours after charging for 1 hour. The annual operating cost is 63% lower than that of diesel vehicles of the same tonnage. A single batch of 10 vehicles can save more than 11 million yuan per year, and has achieved large-scale marshalling operation. In the port scenario, battery replacement for heavy trucks has become a mainstream choice. Shenzhen Yantian Port has deployed the Qiji battery replacement system to achieve zero-carbon operation of port tractors, significantly reducing exhaust pollution and noise interference, and improving port operation efficiency.

2. Urban and trunk line scenarios: Prioritize efficiency while taking into account costs

In urban distribution and sanitation scenarios, light commercial vehicle batteries focus on high cost performance. CATL's Tianxing light commercial vehicle supercharged battery has 140 kilowatt-hours of power and 4C supercharging capabilities, adapting to the high-frequency energy replenishment needs of express logistics; special batteries for road cleaning vehicles emphasize strong environmental adaptability, covering multiple models such as cleaning vehicles and garbage disposal vehicles, helping cities such as Changsha to build green sanitation systems. The trunk logistics scenario has become a new growth engine. Trunk transportation of 300-500 kilometers has strict requirements on energy replenishment efficiency. Ruipu Lanjun's 600kWh system F battery box is equipped with 1.5C direct charging technology, and CATL's supercharged heavy-duty truck battery is equipped with a 1.5MW supercharging pile, which can replenish 20 kilowatt hours of electricity per minute, gradually solving the anxiety about battery life in trunk transportation.

3. Cross-border collaboration: building a battery life cycle ecosystem

As the number of new energy heavy trucks increases, battery recycling has become a key link in the closed-loop industry. It is expected that around 2030, the first batch of large-scale heavy truck batteries will enter a centralized retirement period, with the total number of retired batteries exceeding 100GWh each year. At present, the industry has formed a mature recycling system. In 2025, the power battery recycling and processing capacity will reach 280,000 tons, the actual recycling output is 196,000 tons, and the production capacity utilization rate is 70%. The model of retired batteries being used in energy storage power stations is gradually implemented, greatly increasing the value of the battery throughout its life cycle. At the same time, Ningde Times has joined forces with industry partners to promote the construction of the "eight horizontal and ten vertical" power-swap green network, planning to cover 80% of trunk line transport capacity by 2030 and build a "vehicle-storage-grid" coordinated energy ecosystem.

4. Future Trends: Bidirectional Empowerment of Ecological Restructuring and Technology Upgrading

Looking forward to 2026 and beyond, the truck lithium battery industry will present three major development trends driven by technology iteration, model innovation and ecological synergy. At the technical level, lithium iron phosphate will continue to improve its performance through material improvement, lithium iron manganese phosphate will accelerate its large-scale application, supercharging and battery swapping technologies will be deeply integrated, and the energy replenishment network will gradually improve; at the market level, trunk logistics will become a new engine for growth. Sales of new energy heavy trucks are expected to exceed 350,000 units in 2027, with penetration rates approaching Nearly 35%, the regional market extends from core urban agglomerations to the central and western energy provinces; at the ecological level, battery companies, OEMs, energy service providers and financial institutions are more closely coordinated, the construction of standardized systems is accelerated, and the scale of recycling and echelon utilization industries continues to expand, promoting the formation of a closed loop of full life cycle value.

As the core driving force for the electrification of heavy trucks, technological breakthroughs and in-depth development of truck lithium batteries will not only promote the continued expansion of the new energy heavy truck market, but also provide a solid guarantee for the transportation industry to achieve the "double carbon" goal in the global energy transformation wave, ushering in a new era of green logistics.