SWIFT (Swapping Innovation for the Freight Transition)
Led by experts from Imperial College London, alongside Aegis Energy and Zeti, and other supply chain partners, this project explores the potential of battery swapping to accelerate the rollout of zero-emission heavy goods vehicles (HGV). The programme will develop and test a modular battery swapping concept designed to support HGV battery packs from 270 to 990 kWh and enable rapid vehicle turnaround.
The project will assess the technical, economic and operational viability of the approach, including impacts on total cost of ownership, lifecycle performance and day‑to‑day operations under real‑world UK duty cycles. It will also examine grid constraints, demand‑charge considerations and future commercial models such as Battery‑as‑a‑Service.
By benchmarking battery swapping against alternative energy options, the project will identify the conditions required to achieve diesel‑cost parity and the utilisation levels needed to support a scalable, commercially viable solution.
This collaboration strengthens UK supply‑chain capability beyond the lifetime of the project. SWIFT supports national net‑zero ambitions by reducing emissions from heavy vehicles, while driving innovation‑led growth and export potential. By translating global best practice into an interoperable, market‑led UK model, SWIFT positions the UK as an early leader in heavy‑duty battery swapping and boosts competitiveness across the freight, energy and engineering sectors.
Project consortium:
- Independent experts from Imperial College London, via Imperial Consultants
- Aegis Energy
- Zeti