By 2028, half of all heavy trucks sold in China could be electric, according to Zeng Yuqun, the chairman of CATL, a top battery manufacturer. This would be a huge jump from just 10% in 2024. His remarks were shared during a battery-swapping launch event, as reported by Jiemian, a Shanghai government-linked news site.
Fuel Demand Could Drop
As more electric and LNG-powered trucks hit the road, China’s fuel demand in the trucking industry may drop significantly. This shift marks a strong push towards cleaner energy in one of the world’s biggest vehicle markets.
New EV Battery Base in Northern China
CATL recently launched a major energy storage and EV battery production facility in Shandong, with a capacity of 60 gigawatt-hours. This is CATL’s first plant of its kind in northern China.
More Growth Ahead
Over the next two years, CATL plans to expand the Shandong site with second and third phases. These expansions will help create a massive energy battery industry cluster in the region, worth billions of yuan.
Shandong’s Big Goal
Shandong province has set an ambitious goal to grow a 100 billion yuan (around $14 billion) lithium battery industry by the end of this year. This includes everything from electrode materials to battery cell assembly.
