Tapping Heavy-Duty Transport Electrification via Conversion Plus Battery Swapping
Australia's Janus Electric is bringing its Class 8 heavy-duty electric truck conversion technology to the U.S. and Canadian markets, partnering with Canadian lithium-ion battery specialist Electrovaya to jointly promote battery-swapping adoption. Its core business is converting existing diesel tractors into battery electric vehicles, paired with swappable battery packs and charging stations.
This model operates as Battery-as-a-Service, allowing fleets to complete a battery swap in minutes, avoiding hours of charging time for conventional electric trucks and saving the huge capital outlay of buying brand-new electric trucks. Janus Electric CEO Ben Hutt said Electrovaya's expanding North American manufacturing capacity is critical to the company's scale-up. Compared with electric passenger cars, battery-swapping technology has greater advantages in the transport industry, as logistics operators demand extremely high time efficiency.
118 Orders Secured as US$26 Million Agreement Kicks Off
Janus Electric has so far secured conversion orders and commitments for 118 trucks in the U.S. and Canada. Canada's Electrovaya announced last week that it signed a US$26 million diesel-to-electric supply agreement with Janus Electric, the first phase for orders in the U.S. and Canadian markets, and has begun supplying Janus Electric.
Electrovaya has also agreed to invest about US$1.4 million in Janus Electric, and will receive up to 4.2 million shares and warrants. Electrovaya CEO Dr. Raj Das Gupta stressed that Janus Electric offers a practical solution for heavy-duty transport electrification, allowing diesel trucks to convert to electric vehicles without affecting commercial operations, and that this strategic investment and warrants closely link the two companies to Janus Electric's long-term growth.
Peers Enter the Race as Capacity and Policy Become Key
U.S. startup Revoy, formerly SixWheels, also announced last summer a battery-swap conversion solution for Class 8 diesel trucks, reportedly cutting diesel exhaust emissions by up to 85% and saving 95% in fuel costs. To meet market demand, Electrovaya is expanding its manufacturing capacity in North America, and plans to set up production facilities for lithium-ion cells, modules and battery packs in Jamestown, New York next year. Although U.S. President Trump's policies have affected diesel costs and the EV market, the White House has hinted at a possible trade deal with Canada, which is expected to further accelerate development of the U.S. electric truck conversion sector.