The introduction of battery-electric trucks faces significant challenges and bottlenecks, including a shortage of charging stations, limited available space, and narrow operational windows. Consequently, there is a growing interest in technology that decouples charging from vehicle operation: automated battery swapping.
A recent study by the Fraunhofer Institute for Material Flow and Logistics (IML) identifies situations in which battery swapping creates real added value, as well as the obstacles that remain. This article summarizes the study’s key findings and explains their implications for road freight.
What Exactly Is Meant by Battery Swapping?
Battery swapping involves the automated replacement of discharged traction batteries with fully charged ones at specially equipped stations. Swappable battery modules are removed from vehicles from below or the side and replaced.
The key benefit: the vehicle only spends a short time at the service station for the battery swap. The batteries are charged separately, which reduces strain on the grid and minimizes costs. This decoupling is especially beneficial for heavy-duty road freight transport because it allows for high vehicle availability while keeping grid load manageable.
Who is behind the study?
Fraunhofer IML has produced the white paper “Battery Swapping for Heavy-Duty Commercial Vehicles as a Complement to Wired Charging” on behalf of several logistics and waste management companies, including DHL Group. The project was supported by the Working Group on CO₂-Free Logistics of the Federal Association For Freight Forwarding and Logistics Germany (DSLV).
The study integrates technological, business, and energy system perspectives. It is based on 22 expert interviews conducted across the entire value chain, from users and station operators to battery manufacturers and grid operators, as well as vehicle manufacturers.
Why Is Electrification Necessary, and Why Is It So Difficult?
Heavy-duty vehicles account for more than a quarter of greenhouse gas emissions from road transport in the EU, and over six percent of the EU’s total emissions. In 2024, stricter CO₂ regulations took effect, implementing staggered reduction targets for new heavy-duty vehicles: minus 45% by 2030, minus 65% by 2035, and minus 90% by 2040, in each case compared to the 2019 reference year.
Technically and operationally, however, electrifying heavy-duty trucks poses a much greater challenge than electrifying passenger cars. The transition is difficult due to high daily mileage, tight time windows, the large amount of energy required per stop, and the lack of space at high-traffic locations. This is precisely why battery swapping is a valuable complementary option.
What Creates the Operational Added Value?
The industry feedback in the white paper is consistent: depot charging remains the cornerstone of operations, and the widespread adoption of electric trucks will probably be driven primarily by fast wired charging. Battery swapping is beneficial when three factors converge: time-sensitive processes, predictable routes, and limited grid or space resources.
In concrete terms, the study identifies the following areas of application:
- Hub-to-hub transport in a multi-shift operation: Fixed, predictable routes with daily driving ranges of 400 to 500 kilometers. A six- to ten-minute swap replaces a wired charging session of about 50 to 70 minutes.
- 24/7 internal transport operations with just-in-time requirements: The exchange takes place concurrently with loading dock and yard operations and does not cause any additional downtime.
- Potentially autonomous 24/7 logistics: Battery swapping can ensure a continuous power supply without the need for a driver and without operational downtime.
There are systemic benefits beyond these use cases. Thanks to their large storage capacities and controllable energy consumption, swapping stations can relieve pressure on the power grid. Furthermore, they require significantly less space than conventional charging stations for heavy-duty trucks.
What Impact Does This Have on Costs?
The study emphasizes that battery swapping is no “one-size-fits-all” solution. Its cost-effectiveness depends heavily on the usage profile, system parameters, and business model.
The key factor is usually not the energy price alone, but rather the interplay between the energy price, swap time, and the resulting opportunity costs. A quick battery swap significantly reduces costly downtime.
| Factor | Effect of battery swapping |
| Utilization of the station | Economically viable at a station utilization rate of approximately 43% or higher |
| Battery size | A smaller battery is possible (around 450 kWh instead of 600 kWh or more), which reduces weight and increases payload. |
| Capital tie-up | With Battery as a Service (BaaS) models, the battery can be provided by the supplier, which has the potential to significantly reduce vehicle investment costs. |
| Swap charge | A charge that is too high can cancel out the time savings. |
The white paper cites a European model calculation concluding that swap-capable trucks can currently offer a cost advantage of up to 17% over vehicles charged at stations, and that an advantage may persist through 2035 (up to 10%). However, it is important to note that data on the actual operating costs of heavy-duty battery-swap fleets is currently limited, and the study explicitly acknowledges uncertainties in the parameterization.
What Obstacles Remain?
The white paper clearly identifies the barriers for newcomers. The most significant of these is the lack of cross-manufacturer mechanical interoperability. Currently, there is no standardized interchange or interface format for different vehicle and battery types.
Other outstanding issues include:
- Ownership and Liability: Who owns the battery, who is liable for defects?
- Investment needs: Automated swap stations and battery pools tie up significant capital.
- Invoicing: For open usage scenarios, it is essential that kWh metering and invoicing comply with legal calibration requirements for each exchange.
- Availability: The station’s mechanics pose single-point-of-failure risks, necessitating redundancy and a fallback option in the form of wired charging.
By international standards, Europe is lagging behind. China is already using battery swapping on an industrial scale. In 2024, approximately 28,700 swap-capable heavy-duty trucks were registered there, and roughly one in three newly registered heavy-duty electric vehicles was swap-capable. The study attributes this faster rate of implementation to standardization initiatives, government regulation, and stronger market dynamics. However, these local conditions cannot be directly applied to Europe.
What Are the Next Steps? Recommendations from the White Paper
According to the study, there is no “perfect” time to get started. For now, it makes sense to launch open-standard corridor pilot projects with anchor fleets as a complement to the ongoing rollout of high-power charging systems. In the future, these projects can be expanded to include megawatt charging systems. This will enable addressing technical, regulatory, and business issues under real-world conditions.
According to Fraunhofer IML and DSLV, these findings support the measures to promote the testing of battery swapping outlined in the 2030 Charging Infrastructure Master Plan of the German Federal Ministry of Transport. This plan requires vehicle manufacturers and battery producers to collaborate with freight forwarding and logistics companies to develop binding standards.
What Is the Role of DHL Freight?
As co-initiator of the white paper, we are examining ways to accelerate the electrification of heavy-duty vehicles in practice. Battery swapping is one of the options we are evaluating based on specific use cases. It is not intended to replace plug-in charging but rather to serve as a potential component for well-defined, predictable transport operations.
At the same time, we are promoting emissions reductions through currently available solutions. This includes using battery-electric trucks for distribution, testing new technologies, and offering GoGreen Plus Flex. This sustainable offer allows customers to reduce their shipments’ carbon footprint through insetting measures. Contributing to studies such as this white paper is part of our approach to developing practical solutions where the need for action is urgent.
Could Battery Swapping Unlock the Potential of Electric Trucking?
Battery swapping is not a panacea, as the white paper states. Wired charging remains the primary path for widespread adoption. However, battery swapping has its place in high-frequency, schedule-driven applications. It reduces downtime to just a few minutes and enables grid- and cost-optimized charging at the station.
For this technology to reach its full potential, though, issues regarding interoperability, invoicing, ownership, and liability must be resolved. Timing is crucial. If Europe addresses these issues too late, non-European standards could set the pace.
At DHL Freight, we understand that decarbonizing road freight requires a combination of technologies. Battery swapping is one option worth considering – in conjunction with fast-charging infrastructure and consistent emissions reductions along our transport routes. Would you like to know which sustainable transport solutions are suitable for your shipments? Contact us!
FAQs
What is battery swapping?
Battery swapping is the largely automated process of replacing a discharged traction battery with a fully charged one at a dedicated station. For heavy-duty commercial vehicles, the swap currently takes about five to ten minutes. The batteries are charged at the station, separate from the vehicle’s operation.
What is the main advantage of battery swapping?
The main advantage is the significant reduction in downtime. Rather than charging a vehicle for 50 to 70 minutes with a cable, the battery can be swapped out in just a few minutes. This decouples energy consumption from route planning, thus increasing vehicle availability.
What role does battery swapping play in logistics?
Battery swapping is considered a supplementary option to depot and fast charging, rather than a replacement. It is particularly useful for predictable routes with frequent vehicle traffic, such as hub-to-hub operations in multi-shift settings or 24/7 internal transport operations. At the same time, it can relieve pressure on grid connection capacity and space at critical locations.
What are the obstacles to its introduction in Europe?
The biggest obstacle is the lack of cross-manufacturer standardization for batteries and interfaces. Added to this are unresolved issues regarding ownership, liability, invoicing that complies with legal calibration requirements, and the high investment costs of charging stations and battery pools. Unlike China, the EU has yet to establish binding expansion targets.
When is battery swapping economically viable?
Battery swapping becomes economically viable when stations are highly utilized, usage patterns are predictable, and time is a significant cost factor. According to a study cited in the white paper, a station utilization rate of over 43% represents the tipping point. However, data on actual operating costs is limited, so all calculations are subject to uncertainty.
