Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Ltd. has unveiled a new car chassis featuring an integrated battery designed to withstand the extreme conditions of fires or explosions in high-impact collisions.
This innovation aims to improve vehicle safety, particularly in electric vehicles, by ensuring that the battery remains secure and doesn’t pose a danger during accidents.
CATL, the world’s largest manufacturer of electric vehicle batteries, announced it has partnered with the Chinese EV brand Avatr, partly owned by Chongqing Changan Automobile Co., to jointly develop cars based on the new chassis, according to Bloomberg.
At a media briefing on Tuesday, CATL revealed that the chassis is designed to decouple from the car’s upper body during a collision, allowing it to better absorb energy from frontal impacts at speeds of up to 120 km/h.
A video shown during the briefing demonstrated that the battery remained intact even after such a collision.
The risk of EV battery fires, which are difficult to extinguish, remains a concern for many potential buyers. For example, a battery fire earlier this year in a Mercedes in South Korea—despite the car not even being charged—contributed to a sales slump and heightened concerns about EV safety.
In response, China’s CATL is expanding its focus beyond just manufacturing batteries for EVs and energy storage, especially as demand for pure-battery vehicles slows and hybrids gain popularity.
Earlier this month, CATL introduced its latest generation of battery-swapping technology to compete with Nio Inc. Additionally, in April of last year, the company revealed plans to develop a battery capable of powering aircraft in the future.
CATL’s battery-as-a-subscription service aims to have 1,000 battery-swapping stations operational by the end of 2025, with plans to expand to as many as 40,000 in the future.
The company believes this will help boost EV adoption and reduce car costs, as the battery is typically the most expensive component of an electric vehicle.
