A swarm of electric trucks arrives in the US

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Tesla CEO Elon Musk abandoned the idea of ​​changing the battery in electric vehicles in 2015 after a brief experiment. That pretty much left the idea here in the US, but other parties interested in EVs moved forward. The latest example is Australian company Janus Electric, which is bringing its Class 8 heavy-duty electric truck conversions to North America. Janus offers a battery-as-a-service model that includes charging and swapping…so is battery swapping finally coming here to the US?

Interchangeable batteries and the opportunity for diesel trucks

Switching from batteries to larger two-wheelers and electric vehicles is common in some overseas markets, with industry leader Nio being an example. So far, though, the switch from stations to electric bikes is the only sign of emerging activity in the United States.

Musk’s opinion aside, a modern battery swapping station can swap out a worn-out electric car battery for a new one in just a few minutes, or less time than it takes to go through an automatic car wash. On the other hand, considering the current fast charging technology for electric vehicles, battery replacement is somewhat less relevant for passenger cars and other light vehicles. Access to home charging is another factor that can limit the appeal of driving to a battery swap station to recharge.

Electric trucks, however, are another complicated topic. Every minute counts in the fast-paced transportation industry. Waiting in line for an EV charging station to open up is a non-starter, and then there’s the charging time. Even the much-hyped Tesla Semi Class 8 truck can take hours to reach a full charge overnight, although the truck is reported to achieve a 60-70% charge in just 30-45 minutes at fast charging stations.

The time factor explains why truck battery swapping is appearing in foreign markets. The seeds of change have also begun to sprout in the United States, where the field of diesel-to-electric conversion is beginning to offer some opportunities. Last summer, for example, American startup Revoy (formerly SixWheels) announced a swappable battery upgrade for Class 8 diesel trucks. The upgrade consists of a battery unit inserted between the cab and trailer, which can be changed in a matter of minutes. The unit does not replace the engine, but supposedly reduces diesel emissions by up to 85%, with 95% fuel savings helped by regenerative braking.

The U.S. Army is also venturing into the conversion arena with “idle kits,” which are batteries powerful enough to run equipment aboard military vehicles almost silently, without the telltale noise or heat signature that comes with idling the vehicle’s engine. It is not yet known whether exchanges will be part of the picture, but the technological pieces are in place.

Diesel trucks to electric, now with battery change

This is the current situation. A full diesel-to-electric conversion opportunity suddenly appeared last week when Canadian lithium-ion battery specialist Electrovaya announced a new $26 million diesel-to-electric supply agreement with Janus that leverages Electrovaya’s patented “Infinity Battery Technology,” a durable system compatible with daily shift cycles for Class 8 trucks.

The $26 million deal represents only the initial phase of orders for the US and Canadian markets. “Electrovaya also agreed to invest approximately $1.4 million in Janus for up to 4.2 million shares, along with up to 6.3 million warrants,” Electrovaya said, indicating a long-term partnership that allows plenty of room for expansion.

“The Janus approach converts existing diesel engines to battery-electric operation and combines them with swappable battery packs and Janus charging and switching stations, allowing fleets to swap batteries in minutes instead of waiting hours to recharge, and become electrified without the capital cost of purchasing new trucks,” Electrovaya explained (see additional coverage at Technical Cleaning here and here).

Janus’ presence in North America is still small: 118 truck conversion orders and commitments in the U.S. and Canada combined. However, the company’s business with Electrovaya should help boost activity. Janus has already begun deliveries to Electrovaya and Electrovaya has announced a major expansion of its manufacturing footprint in North America. The masterpiece is a production facility in Jamestown, New York, covering lithium-ion battery cells, modules and packs. The start of operations is planned for next year.

More electric trucks for the US

As U.S. President Donald Trump’s war in Iran continues to drive up diesel costs, both Janus Electric and Electrovaya smell the end of the partisan war against electric vehicles that shook the U.S. market after Trump took office in January 2025. “Expanding Electrovaya’s manufacturing capabilities in North America will be important as we grow,” Janus CEO and CEO Ben Hutt said in a press release.

“The investment is a strong vote of confidence in our technology and approach to electrifying heavy transportation,” Hutt added.

Electrovaya CEO Dr Raj Das Gupta also highlighted the potential for rapid scale-up. “Janus has developed a practical solution to one of the main challenges facing heavy transport, allowing diesel trucks to be converted to electric without compromising their business operations,” emphasized Gupta.

“Our strategic investment, along with the warrants, closely aligns us with the long-term growth of Janus,” Gupta also explained, with warrants referring to up to 6.3 million in contracts for future share transactions.

Oh, Canada!

If you’re wondering how much traction Electrovaya and Janus will gain in the US electric truck conversion space, that’s a good question considering Trump’s on-again, off-again trade wars with his upstairs neighbors.

The factory in upstate New York should help push things forward. As if on cue, over the weekend the White House also signaled that Trump is suddenly willing to suspend his tariffs, which could lead to a trade deal with Canada that could help accelerate activity in the U.S. electric truck conversion field, among other areas.

On the other hand, the negotiations are described as reaching a “concept” agreement at an early stage, making them appear to be rather a feeble effort to drum up voter support for the Republican ticket before Election Day on November 3. The concept of an agreement could easily dematerialize on the morning of November 4.

Deal or no deal, Trump is scheduled to leave office no later than January 2029 (this time peacefully, it is hoped), making room for a new era of stability and mutual benefit in US-Canada trade relations.

In the meantime, stay tuned to Electrovaya for more activity in the electrification space, with or without help from the US market. In addition to supplying batteries for electric truck conversion, the company plans to do business in the fields of materials handling, robotics, defense and artificial intelligence data center infrastructure.

Photo: Australian company Janus Electric has partnered with Canada’s Electrovaya to accelerate the electric truck conversion field in North America, regardless of the sharp 180-degree turn in US electrification policy (cropped, courtesy of Janus).