A revolutionary network of Swaptopus hubs will be launched in Europe for ultra-fast battery replacement in electric trucks

The UK’s largest energy supplier, Octopus Energy, has teamed up with global battery leader CATL to roll out innovative infrastructure across Europe. The partners will create a specialized network of hubs for quickly replacing batteries in electric trucks. This large-scale infrastructure solution is designed to revolutionize the commercial green transport segment.

What is this? Overview of Octopus Energy and CATL

The companies’ new joint venture has been named Swaptopus. The project is an alternative to classic high-power wired charging stations. Instead of standing at charging terminals for hours, truck drivers will be able to use the services of specialized hub stations. On these hubs, the process of removing a discharged battery and installing a new one is fully automated and takes a minimum of time.

Technical characteristics and capabilities of quick change stations

According to preliminary engineering calculations, one technological Swaptopus hub will be able to service up to several thousand trucks per day. Main characteristics of the system and its operational features:

• The time to completely replace a discharged unit with a charged one is measured in literally minutes.
• Combined stations are able to flexibly manage network load distribution, charging batteries during the most energy-efficient periods (when the external power system requires and allows it).
• This format ensures continuous traffic movement, eliminating long downtime on logistics routes.

Project implementation deadlines in the UK and Europe

The first operational rapid replacement hubs are planned to be launched in test and commercial modes in the UK in 2027. This launch will allow Swaptopus companies to prove in practice the viability of the business model, test the integration of solutions into the country’s power grid, and also enter into the first major agreements on the supply of services and cooperation with logistics giants in Europe.

Cost of services and economic feasibility of Swaptopus technology

Specific commercial rates have not yet been disclosed. However, William Rowe, CEO of Swaptopus JV, and company analysts confirm that operating such infrastructure will be much cheaper than refueling standard trucks with diesel fuel. The economic model is based on energy accumulation during the period of low night-time electricity prices in the power grid for subsequent prompt supply of vehicle fleets during the day.

What is the difference: key features for logistics companies

Although Battery Swap technology has previously been heavily criticized due to its high cost and lack of unified engineering standards, Asian manufacturers are already proving its superiority. Thus, in China, CATL has been collaborating with the largest energy corporation Sinopec since 2025 for the large-scale implementation of battery change stations throughout the country.

For the European commercial transport industry, this proposal is the most viable. Conventional stationary batteries for large trucks are too heavy. To provide a long range, the truck must carry a huge battery, which will require even more resources to move. Swaptopus offers an elegant solution to the weight problem of commercial vehicles: carriers will be able to seamlessly use lighter, lower-capacity batteries, easily and cheaply replacing them on the road in minutes.

In addition, this concept significantly outperforms traditional charging networks – even in comparison with the plans of competitors such as the BYD automaker, which intends to invest about €2 billion (about 88.4 billion Hryvnia or 2.15 billion US dollars) in creating a high-speed stationary charging infrastructure in the European region.