CATL unveils Tectrans II modular battery platform for commercial vehicles

Tectrans II platform launched at IAA Transportation 2026

Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Limited (CATL) unveiled Tectrans II, its next-generation commercial-vehicle battery solution, at IAA Transportation 2026 in Hanover. Akin Li, Executive President of CATL Overseas Business, framed commercial-vehicle electrification as "the third wave of the global energy transition" and said CATL is positioned to work with partners across products, energy, services and ecosystem to capture it.

Heavy-duty range, charging speed and lifecycle targets

The heavy-duty truck version of Tectrans II is rated for up to 1,000 kilometers (621 miles) of range on a single charge, with megawatt-level fast charging that replenishes 80% of capacity in 25 minutes. CATL rates the heavy-duty configuration for a 12-year, 1.5-million-kilometer operating lifecycle while retaining 70% capacity. The platform lists a gravimetric energy density of 170 Wh/kg, roughly 13% above the industry average, and a 96% system round-trip efficiency.

Modular architecture and OEM integration

Tectrans II is designed as a modular platform that can be configured with varying numbers of standardized battery packs to serve heavy-duty trucks, medium-duty trucks and buses, supporting both e-axle and central-drive layouts as well as switching between charging and battery swapping. CATL says standardized external dimensions, electrical interfaces and communication protocols allow both new and existing vehicle models to adopt future chemistry upgrades, and that the modular design helps OEMs shorten vehicle development cycles by 50% and reduce R&D costs by 60% to 70%.

Step up from the first-generation Tectrans line

Compared with CATL's first-generation Tectrans heavy-duty batteries, presented at IAA Transportation 2024 and rated for up to 500 km of range, the new heavy-duty Tectrans II shifts the charging architecture from 4C cell-level supercharging to megawatt-class infrastructure charging and roughly doubles maximum range to 1,000 km. The new heavy-duty lifecycle target of 12 years or 1.5 million km differs from the original Long Life Edition's 15-year, 2.8-million-kilometer specification.

Commercial footprint and a DHL partnership

CATL reported a 44% market share for power batteries in electric commercial vehicles in China in the first half of 2026 and said it has held the No. 1 position in China's heavy-duty truck segment for five consecutive years with more than 60% share. The company's installed power-battery capacity for electric commercial vehicles in China reached 37.87 GWh in the same period, and more than 2 million commercial vehicles worldwide are now operating on CATL batteries. At the show, CATL signed a memorandum of understanding with DHL Group to co-develop "Green Freight Corridors" across Europe, combining DHL's logistics network with CATL's electrification ecosystem for purpose-built electric vehicles and pilot deployments.