CATL Unveils “Pan-Shi” Chassis, Sets New Global Standard in EV Safety

CATL officially unveiled its “Pan-Shi” (Bedrock) skateboard chassis, marking a major expansion from battery supplier to full-vehicle safety architecture provider. According to CATL, the platform can withstand an extremely high-pressure 120 km/h centre-pillar collision test without fire, explosion, or uncontrolled thermal spread.

CATL describes the platform as “turning the battery into part of the vehicle’s safety shell rather than a risk point.

This level of impact resistance has not previously been claimed by any mainstream EV platform.

A New Structural Approach to Battery Integration

Pan-Shi adopts a cell-to-chassis (CTC) architecture, combining the battery pack directly into the vehicle’s structure. The platform also separates the upper body from the lower body to enhance energy absorption during collisions.

Key structural innovations include:

• 3D turtle-shell-inspired bionic design
• Aerospace-grade aluminium alloy
• Submarine-grade 2,000 MPa hot-formed steel
• Ultra-tough insulation membrane separating cells and structure

According to CATL testing, ≈85% of collision energy is absorbed by the structure, compared to ~60% for typical EV platforms.

Extreme Crash Performance Validated in High-Speed Testing

The 120 km/h test simulates a violent collision against a narrow vertical object (e.g., a pole or guardrail). CATL notes that the pressure in this scenario can exceed: 21× the pressure of a standard 56 km/h frontal crash test.

Even under this stress, the battery remained intact and without thermal propagation — a critical safety milestone for EVs.

Modular Platform Enables Faster Vehicle Development

CATL says the Pan-Shi chassis can support multiple body forms, powertrain configurations, and autonomous driving systems (including L3/L4).

Highlights of the platform’s development benefits:

• Compatible with multiple vehicle types on a single platform
• Cuts vehicle development time from 36+ months → 12–18 months
• Standardized “upper/lower decoupling + open interface” architecture allows OEMs to build faster

Avatr Confirmed as First Mass-Production User

CATL announced that Avatr — the premium EV brand jointly backed by Changan, CATL and partnered with Huawei — will be the first to use the Pan-Shi chassis in a production model.

This cooperation expands Avatr's tech-driven premium positioning.

Safety begins from the chassis, not from passive add-on layers.

CATL

The adoption reinforces Avatr's commitment to structural safety and gives the brand a unique selling point in both domestic and global markets.

A New Competitive Battlefield in EV Safety

Industry analysts see this move as CATL expanding beyond batteries toward full-stack automotive solutions. With safety increasingly becoming a differentiator in China’s EV competition, the Pan-Shi chassis could pressure traditional automakers to accelerate safety innovation.