Octopus Energy and China’s CATL announced Swaptopus, a network of mega hubs for rapid battery exchange, aiming to reduce truck downtime and lower emissions across Europe’s heavy freight sector by 2035.
A new battery-swapping venture from Octopus Energy and China’s CATL aims to tackle one of the biggest obstacles to electrifying heavy freight in Europe: truck downtime. The companies unveiled Swaptopus at Octopus Energy’s Energy Tech Summit in London, saying the system would allow electric lorries to exchange depleted batteries for charged ones in minutes rather than spend long periods plugged into chargers.
The plan centres on large “mega hubs” rather than small standalone stations. According to Octopus, the first UK sites are expected to open in 2027, with more than 30 hubs planned by 2035. Each would be designed to handle thousands of lorries a day, storing batteries on-site, charging them when power is cheapest and swapping them into vehicles that need to return to the road quickly.
CATL chairman and chief executive Robin Zeng said in a statement reported by Electrek that battery swapping would play a major role in commercial transport, adding that the technology had already been proven in China. Octopus founder Greg Jackson said the concept could help lower trucking costs while also making better use of spare grid capacity, with batteries charged at times when electricity demand is low.
The commercial case for battery swapping is stronger for freight than for private cars. Passenger EV owners have generally preferred conventional charging, but logistics operators are much more sensitive to every minute a vehicle is off the road. Fixed routes, high daily mileage and the need to keep vehicles earning revenue all make rapid battery exchange more attractive for heavy-duty fleets.
If Swaptopus scales as planned, the partners say it could eventually support more than 300,000 electric trucks and draw in over £30bn in private investment. The companies also want the hubs to contribute to vehicle-to-grid services, effectively turning parked batteries into a flexible resource for the wider power system. For Europe’s industrial decarbonisation effort, the pitch is clear: cleaner haulage, lower operating costs and a freight network less dependent on diesel and imported oil.
- https://autos.yahoo.com/ev-and-future-tech/articles/europes-long-haul-ev-trucks-011900192.html – Please view link – unable to able to access data
- https://www.techradar.com/pro/battery-swapping-for-ev-trucks-to-go-mainstream-as-octopus-teams-with-catl-to-service-300-000-electric-trucks-across-europe – Octopus Energy and CATL have announced a joint venture named Swaptopus to establish a large-scale battery swapping network for electric trucks across Europe. The partnership aims to accelerate the adoption of clean freight transport, with over 300,000 electric trucks expected to benefit. Instead of lengthy charging sessions, electric trucks will swap depleted batteries within minutes using CATL’s high-capacity 1000 kWh battery packs. Initial battery swapping hubs will launch in the UK by 2027, with plans to extend to over 30 large hubs across Europe by 2035. This network is projected to draw over £30 billion in private investment and significantly decrease truck downtime, enhancing the commercial viability of electric trucks. The collaboration will also explore Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) technology, enabling parked EVs to feed power back into the grid during peak demand. With proven success in China, CATL and Octopus are optimistic about replicating this model in Europe. Ultimately, the system will act as a virtual power plant, contributing to both transportation electrification and grid sustainability.
- https://octopus.energy/big-on-batteries-octopus-and-catl-team-up-to-unlock-electric-trucking-across-europe/ – Octopus Energy and CATL have formed a joint venture called Swaptopus to accelerate the shift to electric road freight in Europe. The partners plan to build a European network of battery-swapping hubs that allow electric lorries to replace depleted batteries in minutes, eliminating long charge times and removing a significant barrier to decarbonising heavy transport. The first UK mega hubs are expected to open in 2027, with more than 30 planned by 2035. Each hub will be capable of servicing thousands of lorries a day. Once fully operational, the network could support over 300,000 electric trucks and unlock over £30 billion of private investment, reducing Europe’s dependence on imported oil and replacing it with homegrown green electricity.
- https://battery-tech.net/battery-markets-news/catl-octopus-energy-launch-europes-first-truck-swap/ – CATL and Octopus Energy have agreed to form a 50-50 joint venture to build Europe’s first heavy-truck battery swap network, with initial demonstration stations set to launch in the UK by 2027. The network will roll out along major highway corridors and key logistics ports, gradually expanding to Scotland and Wales, and is expected to include more than 30 swap stations by 2035. Once fully operational, the network could support over 300,000 electric heavy trucks and attract upwards of £30 billion in private investment across Europe.
- https://www.electrive.net/2026/06/22/catl-und-octopus-energy-planen-batteriewechsel-netzwerk-fuer-e-lkw-in-europa/ – Der britische Stromanbieter Octopus Energy und der chinesische Batterieriese CATL haben ein Joint Venture namens „Swaptopus“ gegründet, um den europäischen Güterkraftverkehr zu elektrifizieren. Ziel der Partnerschaft ist der Aufbau eines europaweiten Netzwerks von Batteriewechsel-Stationen für Elektro-Lkw. Beide Partner haben das gemeinsame Vorhaben am Montag auf dem Energy Tech Summit in London vorgestellt, der Hausmesse von Octopus Energy. Der britische Stromanbieter und CATL wollen in Kürze damit beginnen, ein europäisches Netzwerk von Batteriewechsel-Stationen aufzubauen. Diese sollen es Elektro-Lkw ermöglichen, leere Batterien innerhalb weniger Minuten vollautomatisch auszutauschen. Dadurch sollen lange Ladezeiten entfallen, die bislang als Hindernis für die Dekarbonisierung des Güterverkehrs gelten.
- https://www.electrive.com/es/2026/06/22/catl-y-octopus-energy-planean-crear-una-red-de-intercambio-de-baterias-para-vehiculos-electricos-de-alta-velocidad-ehgv-en-europa/ – La empresa británica de suministro energético Octopus Energy y el gigante chino de las baterías CATL han creado una empresa conjunta denominada ‘Swaptopus’ con el objetivo de electrificar el transporte pesado en Europa. La colaboración tiene como objetivo establecer una red a escala europea de estaciones de intercambio de baterías para camiones eléctricos. Ambas empresas presentaron su iniciativa conjunta el lunes en la Energy Tech Summit de Londres, el evento insignia de Octopus Energy. La empresa británica de suministro energético y CATL tienen previsto comenzar en breve a construir una red europea de estaciones de intercambio de baterías. Estas permitirán a los vehículos pesados eléctricos cambiar automáticamente las baterías agotadas en cuestión de minutos, eliminando así los largos tiempos de recarga que, hasta ahora, han supuesto un obstáculo para la descarbonización del transporte de mercancías.
- https://batteryindustry.net/catl-and-octopus-energy-target-european-battery-swapping-network-for-electric-trucks/ – British energy supplier Octopus Energy and Chinese battery giant CATL have formed a joint venture called ‘Swaptopus’ to electrify European heavy-duty transport. The partnership aims to establish a Europe-wide network of battery-swapping stations for electric trucks. Both partners unveiled their joint initiative on Monday at the Energy Tech Summit in London, Octopus Energy’s flagship event. The UK energy provider and CATL plan to begin building a European network of battery-swapping stations soon. These will allow electric HGVs to automatically exchange depleted batteries within minutes, eliminating the long charging times that have so far been a barrier to decarbonising freight transport. This initiative is not focused on standalone battery-swapping stations but on so-called ‘mega-hubs’ featuring multiple battery-exchange stations per site.
Noah Fact Check Pro
The draft above was created using the information available at the time the story first
emerged. We’ve since applied our fact-checking process to the final narrative, based on the criteria listed
below. The results are intended to help you assess the credibility of the piece and highlight any areas that may
warrant further investigation.
Freshness check
Score:
8
Notes:
The article presents recent developments regarding Octopus Energy and CATL’s joint venture, Swaptopus, announced on June 22, 2026. ([octopus.energy](https://octopus.energy/big-on-batteries-octopus-and-catl-team-up-to-unlock-electric-trucking-across-europe/?utm_source=openai)) The earliest known publication date of similar content is June 22, 2026, indicating freshness. However, the article’s publication date is June 28, 2026, suggesting a potential delay in reporting. ([techradar.com](https://www.techradar.com/pro/battery-swapping-for-ev-trucks-to-go-mainstream-as-octopus-teams-with-catl-to-service-300-000-electric-trucks-across-europe?utm_source=openai))
Quotes check
Score:
7
Notes:
The article includes direct quotes from Greg Jackson, CEO of Octopus Energy, and Dr. Robin Zeng, Chairman and CEO of CATL. ([octopus.energy](https://octopus.energy/big-on-batteries-octopus-and-catl-team-up-to-unlock-electric-trucking-across-europe/?utm_source=openai)) A search for these quotes reveals identical wording in earlier publications, indicating potential reuse. ([techradar.com](https://www.techradar.com/pro/battery-swapping-for-ev-trucks-to-go-mainstream-as-octopus-teams-with-catl-to-service-300-000-electric-trucks-across-europe?utm_source=openai))
Source reliability
Score:
6
Notes:
The article originates from Yahoo News, a major news organisation. However, the content appears to be summarised from a press release issued by Octopus Energy and CATL. ([octopus.energy](https://octopus.energy/big-on-batteries-octopus-and-catl-team-up-to-unlock-electric-trucking-across-europe/?utm_source=openai)) This raises concerns about the independence of the source and potential bias due to the companies’ vested interests.
Plausibility check
Score:
8
Notes:
The claims about the Swaptopus joint venture and its objectives align with information from other reputable sources, such as TechRadar. ([techradar.com](https://www.techradar.com/pro/battery-swapping-for-ev-trucks-to-go-mainstream-as-octopus-teams-with-catl-to-service-300-000-electric-trucks-across-europe?utm_source=openai)) However, the article lacks specific factual anchors, such as names of involved parties beyond the CEOs, and includes excessive detail unrelated to the main claim, which could be a distraction tactic.
Overall assessment
Verdict (FAIL, OPEN, PASS): FAIL
Confidence (LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH): MEDIUM
Summary:
The article presents information about the Swaptopus joint venture between Octopus Energy and CATL, but it relies heavily on a press release from the companies, lacks independent verification, and includes recycled quotes from earlier publications. These factors raise concerns about the freshness, originality, and reliability of the content.
