Contemporary Amperex Technology Co Ltd (CATL) has unveiled the Bedrock Chassis, the world’s first ultra-safe skateboard chassis designed for electric vehicles. With the ability to withstand a 120 kmph frontal impact without catching fire or exploding, the Bedrock Chassis sets a new benchmark in intelligent chassis safety.
The Bedrock Chassis uses advanced Cell-to-Chassis integration technology combining battery cells directly with the chassis structure. This approach allows the chassis to absorb 85% of collision energy, compared to the 60% absorption rate of traditional designs. It successfully passed dual extreme safety tests, including the 'highest speed + strongest impact' frontal pole crash test at 120 kmph, a scenario equivalent to falling from a 56-metre-high building. This performance highlights CATL’s engineering achievements in ensuring vehicle safety under extreme conditions.
Through three core technological breakthroughs, the chassis incorporates a biomimetic tortoise shell structure, which integrates the body and energy framework for unparalleled protection. The inclusion of aerospace-grade aluminium alloys and submarine-grade hot-formed steel further enhances its strength. CATL’s aircraft carrier-grade arresting structure disperses impact forces, gradually decelerating the vehicle to minimise cabin intrusion during crashes.
The Bedrock Chassis also features ultra-safe battery design elements, including NP technology and high-ductility insulation films. It achieves instantaneous high-voltage disconnection within 0.01 seconds of impact and discharges residual energy within 0.2 seconds. The battery cells have undergone rigorous testing, such as high-speed sled impacts and bending trials, proving their resilience under severe conditions without fire or explosion.
CATL’s innovative chassis design also addresses industry challenges, including long development cycles and high costs. By offering internal integration and decoupling the chassis from the vehicle’s upper body, the Bedrock Chassis supports modular vehicle architecture. This reduces vehicle development time from 36 months to 12–18 months, enabling the production of multiple vehicle models from a single chassis platform.
AVATR, the first automaker to adopt the Bedrock Chassis, has entered into a partnership with CATL to develop advanced vehicles leveraging this technology. The chassis also supports intelligent driving capabilities, ranging from L3 to L4, with adaptable interfaces for collaborative applications, making it suitable for the next generation of autonomous vehicles.