CATL, a leading Chinese power battery manufacturer, has recently introduced a groundbreaking innovation in the world of vehicle design – the Bedrock Chassis. This innovative skateboard chassis is set to revolutionize the way vehicles are built, with a strong focus on safety and customization.
The Bedrock Chassis, unveiled at a recent event in Shanghai, is being hailed as the world’s first ultra-safe skateboard chassis. Building on the concept of a skateboard chassis first introduced by General Motors in 2002, CATL’s Bedrock Chassis takes safety to new heights by incorporating cutting-edge technologies and design principles.
One of the key features of the Bedrock Chassis is its battery-centric design, which integrates the battery cells directly into the chassis. This unique approach not only enhances the overall safety of the vehicle but also allows for a shared structural design between the battery and the chassis. In crash tests, the chassis has been shown to absorb 85 percent of the vehicle’s collision energy, significantly higher than traditional chassis designs.
The chassis is built using high-strength materials such as submarine-grade hot-formed steel and aerospace-grade aluminum alloys, ensuring maximum rigidity and protection for the vehicle’s energy unit. In the event of a high-speed collision, the chassis is capable of instantaneously disconnecting high-voltage circuits and releasing residual energy, setting a new industry standard for safety.
In addition to its safety features, the Bedrock Chassis also offers significant advantages in terms of vehicle development efficiency. By allowing manufacturers to build multiple models based on a single chassis architecture, the chassis reduces the time required to bring a new vehicle to market from the traditional 36 months to just 12-18 months. This streamlined development process opens up new possibilities for modular, personalized, and intelligent vehicle design.
Furthermore, the Bedrock Chassis supports mechanical and software decoupling, enabling advanced driving capabilities from Level 3 to Level 4 autonomy. The chassis has already garnered interest from automakers, with Changan Automobile’s subsidiary Avatr Technology being the first to adopt the innovative design.
CATL’s introduction of the Bedrock Chassis marks a significant expansion of its business into the vehicle design and manufacturing sector. With its strong focus on safety, customization, and efficiency, the chassis has the potential to reshape the way vehicles are built and designed in the future. As the world’s largest power battery manufacturer, CATL continues to push the boundaries of innovation and drive the evolution of the automotive industry towards a safer and more sustainable future.
