CATL showcases its own EV platform

CATL, one of the world’s leading vendors of electric car batteries, has unveiled a skateboard platform of its own design. Called the Panshi (Bedrock), it is said to be technologically sophisticated, energy efficient and safe – but the company itself won’t be using it.

The chassis is fabricated from several different kinds of steel and aluminum alloys, which makes it especially rigid. The battery is integrated into the frame with the individual cells insulated using a particularly robust film material. This is done to ensure that the frame doesn’t get bent and the battery doesn’t erupt in flames even if you collide with a static obstacle at 120 km/h (75 mph), CARL says. It goes on to boast that all high-voltage systems on board can break power within 10 milliseconds from registering a collision.

All steering and braking are implemented in a drive-by-wire fashion, meaning there is no physical connection between the steering wheel and the wheels. The platform is large enough to accommodate up to three electric motors and still offer over 1,000 km (621 miles) of range. It also supports self-driving systems up to level 4.

CATL has no plans to become a carmaker, but it hopes that other companies will want to license the Bedrock for their own projects. According to the vendor, doing so would shorten new EV design/production/launch cycle to just 6–12 months.

Avatr has already agreed to utilize the platform in its newest electric vehicle so far only known as the N Plus.