Submarine-grade hot-formed steel with a strength of 2000MPa was used to make the EV chassis. (Representational image)
CATL – a Chinese firm – has launched an ultra-safe skateboard chassis that passed the highest speed and strongest impact test.
Named Bedrock Chassis, the EV platform offers outstanding performance of withstanding 75 mph (120 km/h) frontal impact without catching fire or exploding.
CATL claims that its Bedrock Chassis sets a new standard for intelligent chassis safety, providing comprehensive protection across all scenarios and speed ranges.
Based on the decoupling of the chassis from the upper body, the Bedrock Chassis is capable of absorbing 85 percent of the vehicle’s collision energy compared to around 60 percent absorbed by traditional chassis.
CATL’s chassis has a battery centered design
CATL’s Bedrock Chassis, which has a battery centered design, utilizes Cell-to-Chassis integration technology that directly integrates the battery cells into the chassis, allowing for a shared structural design between them.
Through various technological breakthroughs, the Bedrock Chassis successfully passed the world’s first “highest speed and strongest impact” dual extreme safety test. This achievement enables the chassis to pass the 120 km/h (74 mph) frontal central pole impact test without catching fire, exploding or thermal runway, redefining the benchmark for safety in the industry, according to a press release by CATL.
“Due to the extremely high crash speed and intensity, there has been no previous instance of any new energy vehicle daring to challenge a 120km/h frontal pole impact test,” said Ni Jun, CATL chief manufacturing officer. “With this extreme challenge, CATL’s Bedrock Chassis has blazed a fresh trail for the industry.”
Tortoise shell structure
The company claims that CATL Bedrock Chassis introduces a revolutionary three-dimensional biomimetic tortoise shell structure, where the body and energy unit framework are integrated, deeply coupled to provide the energy unit with indestructible protection.
CATL also maintains that the chassis offers aircraft carrier-grade arresting structure, which disperses impact forces across multiple pathways during a crash, gradually decelerating the vehicle and significantly reducing the depth and speed at which obstacles intrude the cabin.
Utilization of submarine-grade steel by CATL
The utilization of submarine-grade hot-formed steel with a strength of 2000MPa, aerospace-grade aluminum alloy with a strength of 600MPa, and multiple barrier structures further enhance the chassis’ rigidity, making it virtually impervious, as per CATL.
The company has also claimed that its Bedrock Chassis incorporates an ultra-safe battery cell design, NP technology, and a high-ductility energy-absorbing insulation film, leading the industry in a groundbreaking manner.
In terms of high-voltage disconnection, it achieves instantaneous disconnection of high voltage circuit within 0.01 seconds of impact and completes the discharge of residual high-voltage energy in the vehicle within 0.2 seconds, setting a new industry record, according to CATL.
Higher safety standard
The battery cells have undergone highly demanding tests, including high-speed sled impact tests at 37 miles per hour (60 km/h), 90-degree bending tests, and breakthrough sawing tests, the battery did not catch fire or explode across all three tests. These tests, all industry-firsts by CATL, have elevated the safety standards of battery cells to new heights, as per the release.
During the launch ceremony of CATL’s EV chassis, AVATR, the first automaker to use Bedrock Chassis, and CAIT-SH, CATL’s skateboard chassis arm, signed an agreement to deepen cooperation on CATL’s Bedrock Chassis to create a safer, higher-quality travel experience for users.
