The new modular CATL platform will withstand impact at speeds of 120 kilometers per hour

The Bedrock chassis uses the latest battery cell technology, fly-by-wire systems and supports Level 3 and 4 autonomy. Avatr will be the first to build its cars on the CATL platform.

Chinese CATL, best known as a manufacturer of batteries for electric vehicles, has unveiled a self-developed automotive platform. The skateboard cart is called Bedrock (literally, rock base). It supports fourth-generation Cell-to-Chassis technology, when cells are integrated into the power structure, bypassing assembly into modules and blocks, but most importantly, it provides an unprecedented level of safety that exceeds all current standards.

CATL

The platform can withstand a frontal impact at a speed of 120 kilometers per hour without the risk of fire, while in C-NCAP tests a frontal collision is carried out at 56 kilometers per hour. Thanks to the special design, up to 85 percent of the impact energy is absorbed. The biomimetic chassis structure resembles a tortoise shell, made from hot-formed steel similar to that used in submarines (yield strength 2000 MPa) and aerospace-grade aluminum (600 MPa).

CATL

The battery in Bedrock is made using gas-electric separation technology and active insulation of cells, which are also inverted and enclosed in an energy-absorbing film. There is an automatic shutdown of the high-voltage system in the event of an accident, as well as an emergency “reset” of electricity, all of which takes a fraction of a second. The cells do not explode either upon impact, or when bent at an angle of 90 degrees, or when sawed.

CATL

Since the platform is scalable, cars of different segments can be created on it. Development time will be reduced from 36 months to 12-18. The chassis is compatible with advanced active safety systems – including L3 and L4 level autopilots, three-motor power plants, plus equipped with brake control and fly-by-wire steering. The first manufacturer to get the chance to try out Bedrock will be Avatr, a brand created by Changan Automobile, Huawei and CATL.

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