Will a 600 - kilometer range eliminate fuel - powered cars? STO Express, YTO Express and others are accelerating this exploration.

Data shows that 82% of the freight volume in China's logistics industry relies on road transportation. However, under the double pressure of cost and environmental protection, the profit margins of trunk logistics enterprises have been compressed to an extremely sensitive level.

In the context of cost reduction and efficiency improvement in the express delivery industry, accelerating the intelligentization and electrification process of trunk vehicles has become the only choice for express delivery enterprises. In April 2025, STO Express purchased its first batch of 36 new energy heavy trucks and quickly reaped the benefits. YTO Express, on the other hand, successively invested in 100 intelligent heavy trucks and launched the "intelligent driving relay" model to improve efficiency.

In the first seven months, the cumulative sales of new energy heavy trucks reached 82,200 units, a year-on-year increase of 191%. For express delivery enterprises, the trunk transportation scenario has become the most suitable test field, and the construction of the mid - to long - distance battery life and energy replenishment system, which have been plaguing electric heavy trucks, is also accelerating.

Save 570,000 yuan in 6 years

In April this year, STO Express' first batch of 36 new energy heavy trucks were officially put into operation on 23 core trunk lines in the Yangtze River Delta region, becoming the first express delivery brand in the country to scale up the application of new energy heavy trucks.

Just two months after introducing electric heavy trucks, STO Express' operation data was released: Taking the one - way 375 - kilometer route from Shanghai to Huai'an as an example, the monthly average driving mileage of vehicles on this route is about 11,000 kilometers. The electricity consumption per kilometer of an electric heavy truck with a 600 - degree battery capacity can be controlled within 1.2 degrees, and the electricity cost per kilometer is as low as 0.8 yuan. Compared with the energy consumption cost of 1.8 yuan per kilometer for traditional fuel trucks, it can directly save 1 yuan per kilometer, and a single vehicle can save 11,000 yuan per month.

According to calculations by Yibao.com, if charging is done during the off - peak electricity period at night, the price difference between purchasing an electric heavy truck and a fuel heavy truck can be made up in 1.5 - 2 years. During the 8 - year service life of the vehicle, the remaining 6 years can save 570,000 yuan in energy consumption costs for express delivery companies. For express delivery enterprises that are cost - conscious, the cost - reduction effect is extremely obvious.

Driven by both the market and policies, new energy heavy trucks are developing rapidly. In July, 16,200 new energy heavy trucks were added nationwide, a year - on - year increase of 185%. From January to July, the cumulative sales of new energy heavy trucks reached 82,200 units, a year - on - year increase of 191%.

Meanwhile, looking at previous years' data, the penetration rate of new energy heavy trucks has been continuously rising, from 5.69% in June 2023 to 14.82% in 2024, and then reaching 26.07% in June 2025. Among them, pure - electric heavy trucks have become the mainstream products of new energy heavy trucks in China, accounting for more than 90% of sales.

Having tasted the benefits, STO Express' next plan is to first establish a successful model in the Yangtze River Delta region and then gradually replicate it in regions such as the Pearl River Delta, the middle reaches of the Yangtze River, the Beijing - Tianjin - Hebei region, and the Chengdu - Chongqing - Guizhou region. These regions generally meet three conditions: dense routes, moderate distances, and concentrated site resources. Mid - to short - distance trunk lines of three or four hundred kilometers are almost tailor - made application scenarios for electric heavy trucks.

"Economy is the key factor, and policies also play a promoting role." According to Wang Zhangtao, a vehicle researcher in STO Express' fleet, the purchase price of a new energy vehicle is about twice that of a fuel vehicle. Taking the policy introduced in Shanghai this year as an example, if a National IV vehicle is scrapped and a new energy vehicle is purchased, the theoretical purchase cost can be the same as that of a fuel vehicle. However, since STO Express lacks National IV vehicle indicators, if it obtains them through other channels, half of the 280,000 - yuan subsidy will be taken away. What really made STO Express make up its mind was the cost - saving value in operation.

Range anxiety is expected to be resolved

"When the battery life of electric heavy trucks exceeds 600 - 800 kilometers, fuel trucks will lose their last foothold in the express delivery market." This is Wang Zhangtao's judgment and also the consensus of the express delivery industry on the future energy pattern.

Yibao.com found that the implementation of electrification of express delivery heavy trucks faces a major pain point, which is range anxiety. Charging and battery swapping have become the main solutions. Currently, the sales ratio of charging heavy trucks to battery - swapping heavy trucks is maintained at around 7:3. Megawatt - level ultra - fast charging facilities and heavy - truck battery - swapping stations are being intensively deployed across the country.

Taking the express delivery scenario as an example, with the current general battery life of more than 400 kilometers, when the vehicle replenishes energy midway, it often coincides with the peak electricity consumption period. The high peak - electricity price greatly weakens the cost advantage of electric heavy trucks. However, if the battery life is increased to 600 - 800 kilometers, the vehicle can run continuously for 12 - 13 hours, and the energy - replenishment time happens to be during the flat - electricity period, which will completely unleash the economic potential of electric heavy trucks.

On July 22, Qiji Battery Swapping, a subsidiary of CATL, announced that 12 battery - swapping stations in Jiangxi Province would start construction simultaneously, covering the expressways from East China to South China, and would serve express delivery and logistics enterprises such as STO, YTO, ZTO, BEST, Anneng, and Debon.

Yang Jun, CEO of Qiji Battery Swapping, said that for heavy trucks using Qiji's chassis battery - swapping technology, calculated based on an annual mileage of 100,000 kilometers, they can save 0.62 yuan per kilometer compared with fuel trucks, which is equivalent to earning an extra 60,000 yuan a year. Compared with LNG trucks, they can save 0.2 yuan per kilometer, which is equivalent to earning an extra 20,000 yuan a year.

For express delivery enterprises, the vehicle upgrade not only optimizes costs but also comprehensively upgrades safety and customization. STO Express' data shows that the application of intelligent heavy trucks reduces the accident rate by 60% - 70%. Safety configurations such as lane - keeping and forward - collision warning greatly improve transportation safety, providing double protection for drivers and goods.

Similarly, as early as 2024, YTO Express put its first new energy heavy truck into operation, shuttling between the Hefei center and the Bengbu center. The whole journey is about 155 kilometers, with a full - load battery life of 300 kilometers, supporting both charging and battery - swapping modes.

YTO Express is also actively exploring trunk - line intelligentization. Although it has not large - scale deployed pure - electric heavy trucks, YTO Express has successively invested in 100 intelligent heavy trucks in the "intelligent driving relay" model, adjusting the organization mode of some trunk - line transportation from the traditional continuous two - driver driving to a scientific section - division and driver - relay mode, improving transportation efficiency and the flexibility of vehicle and driver deployment.

Taking the "Zhengzhou - Dongguan" route as an example, in the traditional mode, 4 vehicles and 8 drivers are required for full - time double - driver driving. The one - way distance is about 1,514 kilometers, and it takes more than 22 hours. The vehicles and drivers are bound throughout the journey, resulting in high labor intensity.

In the "intelligent driving relay" mode, relying on intelligent assisted driving, this route is scientifically divided into two sections: "Zhengzhou - Hunan Yong'an Service Area" and "Yong'an - Dongguan", with each section about 740 - 850 kilometers. A single driver can complete the task in 8 - 9 hours. After the vehicle handover at the Yong'an Service Area, the driver can rest on the spot for about 24 hours, entering a healthy cycle of "working two days and resting one day".

Yibao.com learned that as of now, this model has covered 26 trunk lines and set up 19 transfer stations, with a cumulative mileage of millions of kilometers, and the service scope covers core economic regions such as the Beijing - Tianjin - Hebei region, the Yangtze River Delta, and the Pearl River Delta. According to the plan, YTO Express will expand the "intelligent driving relay" to 50 trunk lines within this year.

This article is from the WeChat public account "Express Delivery Observer" (ID: exobserver), author: Qingkong. It is published by 36Kr with authorization.