China’s CATL, the world’s largest electric vehicle (EV) battery maker, on Tuesday unveiled a new chassis for EVs that integrates the battery directly into the vehicle frame.
The company claims the chassis can withstand a frontal impact at 120 km/h without the battery catching fire or exploding.
The chassis, called “panshi” or “bedrock,” supports EVs with a range of approximately 1,000 km on a single charge. CATL stated the platform could reduce vehicle development cycles to 12-18 months from the traditional 36 months or longer.
CATL announced that Avatr, co-owned by CATL, Changan Auto, and Huawei, will be the first automaker to use the new chassis. The company did not specify when models using the platform would be launched.
The chassis architecture, also known as a skateboard chassis, integrates electric motors, batteries, controls, and suspensions. CATL stated that the platform enables decoupled development of upper and lower car bodies, allowing compatibility with a wide range of vehicle types.
CATL has formed partnerships with automakers such as Vinfast, BAIC, and Neta to develop models based on this chassis. The company also revealed that it has demonstrated the panshi technology to Porsche and investors in the UAE as part of efforts to expand its market reach.
The company said the panshi chassis could reduce the development cost of a new EV from billions of dollars to $10 million. It added that this could make EV production viable for smaller companies by achieving profitability with lower production volumes.
