Battery giants are entering the full-scenario commercial vehicle track with unprecedented intensity.
On January 22, CATL officially launched its Tianxing II Light Commercial Vehicle Full-Scenario Customized Series Solution. The company is extending its reach into four core scenarios: urban distribution, intercity transport, last-mile delivery, and cold-region transportation. It simultaneously introduced the industry's first intelligent power battery management app - the Tianxing edition of "Battery Butler". Furthermore, the number of super swap stations compatible with both passenger and commercial vehicles is set to increase to 100 by 2026.
This battery behemoth with a market capitalization exceeding one trillion yuan is attempting to shed its label as a mere "hardware supplier". It is now charging into the commercial vehicle sector—a definitive track vital to the trillion-yuan logistics industry—positioning itself as an "intelligent manufacturing platform".
The commercial vehicle sector is currently heating up. According to industry insiders, including Liu Xuguang, Deputy General Manager of Foton Motor, China's commercial vehicle market is projected to reach total sales of 4.25 million units this year, with the new energy penetration rate expected to surpass 35%. At the end of 2024, this figure stood at just 10%.
Clearly, the electrification of commercial vehicles has reached a tipping point, and CATL aims to accelerate this process.
CATL's Chief Technology Officer, Gao Huan, presented a set of data at the launch event: to date, the Tianxing light commercial series has secured collaborations with 46 automakers, been implemented in 678 new vehicle models, and achieved cumulative shipments exceeding 210,000 units. However, he emphasized that as market competition intensifies and persistent price wars squeeze profits, what OEMs and vehicle owners need is no longer a one-size-fits-all product, but a productivity tool that can precisely calculate returns.
This shift signifies that the battery is no longer just a vehicle component; it is being redefined as a core asset that directly impacts an operator's balance sheet.
CATL's role is consequently being reshaped: it is both an integrator of high-performance hardware and a "business partner" that empowers end customers to reduce costs, increase efficiency, and meticulously account for every cent of profit.
The Tianxing II adopts a scenario-driven approach. To address the highly complex application conditions of Chinese commercial vehicles, CATL has implemented an extremely pragmatic "scenario-driven" strategy for the Tianxing II.
Targeting the intercity freight market, which accounts for over 45% of the sector but previously had an electrification rate of less than 12%, CATL launched the Tianxing II Light Commercial Long-Range Edition. This product features the industry's largest single-pack capacity of 253 kWh, enabling an ultra-long real-world range of 800 kilometers.
Data indicates that by utilizing off-peak electricity for charging, a single light truck can save up to 150,000 yuan in fuel costs annually. To alleviate the concerns of long-haul drivers, CATL also introduced a warranty package of "10 years or 1 million kilometers," promising zero degradation in the first year, attempting to use this "certainty" to hedge against the volatility in logistics operations.
To decisively break through the barrier often summarized as "electric vehicles can't cross Shanhaiguan" (a metaphor for poor cold-weather performance), the Tianxing II launched the industry's first mass-produced sodium-ion battery for light commercial vehicles—the Tianxing II Light Commercial Low-Temperature Edition.
The significance of the sodium-ion battery lies in its exceptional low-temperature adaptability. In extreme conditions as low as -20°C, this battery can retain over 92% of its usable capacity; even at a low State of Charge (SOC) of 10%, it can still support a fully loaded vehicle climbing a 10-degree slope. This breakthrough into extreme cold zones is viewed by analysts as key to achieving "nationwide access without禁区" for new energy commercial vehicles.
For urban distribution scenarios, the Super Charging Edition lowers the operable charging temperature threshold to -15°C, achieving a leap to 80% charge in 30 minutes. Addressing the high-frequency demands of "the last mile" in final-leg delivery scenarios, the High-Temperature Super Charging Edition utilizes electrolyte technology with materials possessing a "high-temperature self-healing gene," enabling the battery to maintain a cycle life of 5,000 charges even at 45°C, supported by an ultra-long warranty of up to 8 years or 600,000 kilometers.
CATL also concurrently released the industry's first intelligent power battery management app, the "Battery Butler" Tianxing edition. Gao Huan pointed out that previously, battery status was like a "blind box," leading to a lack of trust in used vehicle transactions. The "Battery Butler" can generate a health score with one click and even activate an "Emergency Super Charge" mode during peak demand. Additionally, CATL, in collaboration with Cha Boss, has established a "used vehicle inspection system and valuation model," attempting to address the chronic issue of low residual value for electric vehicles from the asset perspective. Rough estimates suggest that light trucks equipped with Tianxing batteries can achieve a residual value difference of over 10,000 yuan compared to competing products.
Simultaneously, CATL is accelerating the deployment of its chocolate-style battery swap stations, planning to complete 3,000 stations by 2026, aiming to further reduce vehicle purchase costs by 10% through "battery-swapping" models.
Through the Tianxing II, CATL is sending a clear signal to the industry: future competition will not be about breakthroughs in single battery parameters, but about achieving systemic victory based on real-world operational scenarios.
As Gao Huan stated, the market is changing, demands are continuously upgrading, and there is an urgent need for fully adaptable, full-scenario customized solutions.
The underlying motivation for battery giants to collectively delve deeply into commercial scenarios lies in capturing the policy window of opportunity and the value of the existing vehicle parc.
In 2026, the "vehicle replacement" policy is entering a new cycle focused on quality and efficiency improvements. Multiple securities firms have noted that the precision of subsidies in 2026 is increasing, with a trend favoring new energy commercial vehicles becoming clearer. For instance, in the operational truck sector, subsidies for purchasing new energy products can reach up to 140,000 yuan, which is 30,000 yuan more than subsidies for purchasing National VI diesel trucks. This tangible policy differential is accelerating end-users' transition from观望 to replacement.
When previously vague concerns about range, degradation, and residual value are quantified into definitive data on the balance sheet, the latter half of commercial vehicle electrification has officially evolved from a contest of mere hardware specifications into an ultimate showdown focused on Return on Investment (ROI).
In this battle for dominance over the "productivity tool," CATL is not only defending its throne but also redefining what constitutes true value for the entire industry. From the icy plains of Yakeshi to the freight arteries of Southern Guangdong, the gears of change have only just begun to turn.
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