Battery replacement for e-trucks: efficient game changer or expensive niche solution?

A strategic coup from China is causing quite a stir these days: CATL, the world’s largest battery manufacturer, and e-car pioneer NIO want to jointly build the world’s largest battery replacement network for passenger cars. The promise: A fully charged battery in under five minutes – without any charging cables, waiting time or grid load.

The topic is electrifying – in the truest sense of the word. And it is not limited to passenger cars: The principle of battery swapping is also being discussed intensively in the field of heavy-duty electric commercial vehicles. But can the technology that scores highly in cars also be used sensibly in 40-ton trucks?

The principle: battery out, battery in – and off you go

The idea is simple and attractive: instead of charging for a long time, the electric truck drives into an automated exchange station, swaps the empty traction battery for a full one in just a few minutes – and continues its journey without having to stop for long.

In Germany, E-Haul GmbH and Big Automation GmbH are working on exactly such solutions for heavy commercial vehicles. The promise: 500 kWh battery exchange in less than 10 minutes – significantly faster than conventional high-performance charging, which can take 90 minutes or more depending on the infrastructure.

The Swiss company Designwerk Technologies AG is also supporting the development of such systems – with expertise, vehicles and its own patented batteries, which simplify the replacement process and are installed as standard in all Designwerk vehicles.

Where the concept can score points

For clearly defined applications, the battery swap can bring decisive advantages:

Advantages	Details
Short downtimes	<10 minutes instead of 1.5 hours charging time
Network-friendly	Interchange stations can avoid peak loads
Gentle charging	Longer battery life thanks to slow recharging outside the vehicle
Future-proof technology	New cell technologies can be retrofitted more easily
Flexibility	Swapp vehicles can both charge and swap

And where the limits lie

Nevertheless, the concept remains complex, expensive and difficult to scale:

Challenges	Details
Costs	High initial investment
Fleet dependency	Economical from approx. 15 vehicles per day
Lack of standards	No manufacturer-independent solution for battery mounts yet
Low interoperability	Each station usually only works for specific vehicle types
Future-proof alternatives	CCS and MCS charging standards are constantly evolving and offer long-term compatibility

Conclusion: battery replacement as a supplementary option with potential

The developments in China show how efficient a battery swap system can be. The concept also offers interesting opportunities for heavy commercial vehicles in Europe – particularly in areas with clearly defined routes, high capacity utilization or within company-owned shuttle and container terminals. In addition, battery swap stations can make an important contribution to grid stability and security of supply by buffering and flexibly supplying energy from renewable sources.

Markus Erdmann, Head of Product Management at Designwerk, puts it in a nutshell: “Battery replacement offers clear advantages in certain scenarios. At the same time, we see the Megawatt Charging System (MCS) as a key technology for heavy-duty transportation. Which solution is right depends on the application in question – we are available for both options and support our customers in making the best choice.”

Battery swapping will continue to gain importance in Europe as part of an overall strategy, but is not a substitute for existing charging infrastructure. However, it can be integrated profitably in certain segments and applications. Anyone investing in the heavy-duty sector today should keep an eye on all options and carefully examine which concept will pay off in the long term.

Would you like to know whether a battery changing system makes sense for your application?
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