Description
I went to the IAA in Hanover Germany to look into CATL's new commercial batteries for trucks. CATL just showed TECTRANS II at IAA Transportation 2026 in Hannover — a modular battery platform built for heavy-duty electric trucks, with a claimed range of up to 1,000 km (about 621 miles) and an 80% charge in 25 minutes on megawatt charging.In this video we walk through what CATL presented on the show floor: how the platform is put together, the headline numbers, and what they could mean for long-haul freight.What CATL claims for TECTRANS II:Modular design using standardized packs, so OEMs can scale energy and payload for different jobs
Up to 1,000 km range in the largest heavy-duty configuration
10% - 80% charge in 45 minutes with megawatt-level fast charging
170 Wh/kg gravimetric energy density, about 13% above the industry average, which CATL says adds roughly 0.6 tonnes of payload at the same capacity
96% system round-trip efficiency from a full-tab, low-impedance design
Rated for 12 years / 1.5 million km with 70% capacity remaining
Works with both e-axle and central-drive layouts, and supports charging or battery swapping
Aimed at heavy-duty trucks first, with coverage also planned for medium-duty trucks and buses
CATL also signed an MoU with DHL Group at the show to develop green freight corridors in Europe.