Australian company Janus Electric is partnering with Canadian lithium-ion battery specialist Electrovaya to expand its diesel-to-electric truck conversion business in North America. The agreement includes battery systems designed to support daily swapping for Class 8 heavy-duty vehicles, alongside charging and battery-exchange services.
Under Janus’s model, existing diesel prime movers are converted to battery-electric operation rather than replaced with new trucks. Fleets can use Janus Charge & Change Stations to exchange depleted battery packs in minutes, avoiding the longer downtime associated with recharging large commercial vehicles.
Electrovaya’s initial supply agreement with Janus is valued at $26 million and covers the US and Canadian markets. The companies described it as the first phase of a broader order program. Electrovaya also agreed to invest approximately $1.4 million in Janus for up to 4.2 million shares and up to 6.3 million warrants.
The battery systems will use Electrovaya’s Infinity Battery Technology, which the company says is suited to repeated swapping cycles in Class 8 trucks. Janus has already begun receiving deliveries, while Electrovaya is expanding its North American manufacturing capacity.
The centerpiece of that expansion is a planned facility in Jamestown, New York, producing lithium-ion battery cells, modules and packs. Operations are scheduled to begin next year, according to the companies’ announcement.
Janus currently has 118 truck conversion orders and commitments across the United States and Canada. The partnership with Electrovaya is intended to support a larger rollout of the company’s conversion and battery-swapping system.
Battery swapping is particularly relevant to heavy-duty trucking because charging can keep vehicles out of service for extended periods. Janus and Electrovaya argue that exchanging battery packs can help fleets electrify without purchasing entirely new trucks while maintaining commercial operations.
The partnership comes as the companies seek to grow despite uncertainty around US electrification policy and trade relations. Electrovaya also expects demand for its battery technology in material handling, robotics, defense and AI data-center infrastructure.
Sources: CleanTechnica.