CATL wants to build cars and unveils its new platform for electric vehicles

One of the most important companies in the automotive industry, dedicated to manufacturing batteries for electric cars, now also wants to become an electric car manufacturer. To do so, it has just presented its new platform, designed to serve as the foundation for this type of vehicle. This platform is called Bedrock Chassis and was unveiled in China.

This platform is based on skateboard-type platforms, which feature a chassis with very specific characteristics. It consists of a flat base, in which the battery cells that power the car are installed, which reduces the impact of the battery on the vehicle’s configuration.

This location means that the battery takes up no space and any type of vehicle can be mounted on the chassis, prioritising modularity as well as customisation. The electric motors are already placed on each axle, so the work is almost entirely done and the manufacturer only needs to focus on mounting the bodywork and the remaining elements that make up the car.

Another advantage of this type of platform is its low centre of gravity, which helps keep the vehicle under control and also offers better handling while driving. Its versatility is quite high, so different types of vehicles can be built on the same platform, saving costs by sharing the same base.

But the great advantage of this platform is the integration of the battery cells with the chassis. This is called cell-to-chassis and helps increase safety. For example, in the event of a collision, the battery is better protected, since the chassis itself can absorb up to 85% of the energy generated in the collision and prevent the cells from being damaged. By comparison, a traditional chassis absorbs up to 60% of that energy.

To demonstrate this capability, CATL has released a video in which the platform is hit at 120 km/h and the battery does not catch fire or suffer damage as a result of the impact. The chassis is made using materials from the aerospace and submarine industries, so it is designed to offer quite high resistance.

To avoid risks, the platform cuts off the high-voltage power supply in 0.01 seconds and eliminates residual energy in 0.2 seconds, which sets the best time in the industry for this type of platform.

This chassis will reach the market within a few months and will be used to underpin a model from the company Avatr Technology, although CATL wants to take part in the industry through the design and development of electric cars, as well as their manufacture.