UK Plans 30 Battery-Swap Hubs for Electric Trucks by 2035

Electric trucks just got a game-changing solution to their biggest problem: the long wait to recharge massive batteries.

UK energy company Octopus Energy and Chinese battery giant CATL announced a joint venture called Swaptopus that will build battery-swapping stations across the UK and Europe. Instead of plugging in for hours, truck drivers will pull into a hub, swap their depleted battery for a fully charged one, and get back on the road in minutes.

The first mega hubs are expected to open in 2027, with more than 30 planned by 2035. Each hub could serve thousands of trucks daily.

Greg Jackson, Octopus Energy's founder and CEO, explained the dual benefit. "We'll have a massive stack of batteries at these stations that we can fill with the cheapest electricity at the cheapest times," he said. The system uses spare grid capacity when electricity is abundant and cheap, lowering costs for everyone while cleaning up the trucking industry.

CATL has already proven the model works at scale in China, where battery swapping for commercial vehicles has gained serious traction. Now they're bringing that expertise to Europe's freight sector, combining it with Octopus's energy supply and software capabilities.

The potential impact is enormous. Once fully built out, the network could support more than 300,000 electric trucks and unlock over £30 billion in private investment. It would also help Europe replace imported diesel with locally generated electricity.

The Ripple Effect

The benefits extend beyond faster refueling. Those stacks of batteries sitting at swap stations won't just wait around for trucks. The companies are exploring vehicle-to-grid technology that could let the batteries feed electricity back to homes and businesses during peak demand, stabilizing the grid and making renewable energy more reliable.

Battery swapping has struggled with passenger cars because it requires standardizing battery packs across different manufacturers. But heavy-duty trucking is different. Commercial fleets follow fixed routes, downtime costs serious money, and getting trucks moving quickly has major financial impact.

Dr. Robin Zeng, CATL's chairman and CEO, sees battery swapping as crucial for commercial transport's future. "We have field-proven this technology in China, and we are delighted to bring it to the UK and Europe," he said.

The approach solves a critical challenge as Europe pushes to electrify freight transport while making the transition economically practical for trucking companies that can't afford long charging stops.

Europe's roads could soon see a cleaner, faster future for freight.