China’s Contemporary Amperex Technology Limited (CATL), the world’s largest electric vehicle (EV) battery maker, has introduced an innovative electric vehicle chassis that prioritises safety. The company claims this new design can endure a frontal impact at 120km/h (75mph) speeds without catching fire or exploding. This breakthrough was announced on Tuesday, highlighting safety as a key selling point in the competitive EV market.
Designed for safety and efficiency
The chassis, equipped with a cutting-edge battery, offers an impressive range of approximately 1,000km on a single charge, making it an attractive option for automakers and drivers alike. CATL emphasised that its new platform significantly shortens the timeline for vehicle mass production. While traditional processes can take 36 months or more, the new design reduces this to 12–18 months.
The platform, known as “panshi,” which translates to “bedrock” in Chinese, is targeted explicitly at premium car manufacturers. By adopting this technology, carmakers can speed up their development timelines and cut costs, a crucial advantage in the fast-paced EV industry.
Ni Jun, CATL’s chief manufacturing officer, pointed out the revolutionary nature of this product, saying, “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.”
Meeting industry demands
CATL’s new chassis meets the growing demand for safer electric vehicles and addresses production challenges that manufacturers often face. Its ability to withstand high-speed impacts is expected to attract global automakers looking to build robust EVs without compromising range or production efficiency.
This announcement comes as safety and sustainability are increasingly essential priorities for the automotive industry. With the “panshi” platform, CATL aims to set a new EV design and production standard.
A move towards the future
CATL’s latest innovation underscores its position as a leader in the EV battery sector. Launching the “panshi” platform could shape the future of electric mobility by demonstrating that safety and performance can go hand in hand. CATL hopes to redefine what consumers and automakers expect from electric vehicles by combining a long range with crash resilience and faster production times.
This ambitious product is another step in CATL’s mission to make electric vehicles safer, more efficient, and widely accessible. As the global EV market continues to grow, innovations like this will likely play a critical role in shaping the next generation of transport.
