(Yicai Global) June 13 -- Chinese electric car battery giant Contemporary Amperex Technology has launched a new battery-swap solution for heavy-duty trucks which only take a few minutes to exchange a battery, less than the time needed to fully refuel a heavy-duty vehicle.

'Qiji Energy' comprises a cloud platform that connects battery swap station operators, transporters, truck drivers and asset holders, CATL said yesterday. It helps logistics firms plan truck routes and better manage their vehicles and drivers, allows truck drivers to book a battery exchange with one click and enables battery-swap stations to improve efficiency.

The service can cut the costs of operating a truck that drives around 200,000 kilometers a year by between CNY30,000 (USD4,190) and CNY60,000 each year, so long as the price of fuel and new vehicles remains the same, the Ningde, southeastern Fujian province-based firm said.

CATL, which has been moving into battery-swap solutions for heavy-duty trucks in recent years, teamed up with Fujian Expressway Group in March to build four battery exchange stations along 346 kilometers of expressway between Ningde and the provincial capital of Xiamen.

Commercial truck routes are usually fixed, making the cost of building stations relatively low with less complicated technological requirements, especially for short distances, industry insiders said.

Editor: Kim Taylor