The CATL-developed skateboard platform was captured on video driving without a body installed. It has only a steering wheel and a driver seat installed, yet it can drive. Huawei might become one of the first customers of the CATL’s chassis.
The clip with CATL Integrated Intelligent Chassis (CIIC) was uploaded on social media by Dongchedi journalist Lao Wang. We can see that the platform can not only drive in a straight line but also turn effectively. It proves this skateboard chassis integrates every critical unit a car needs to operate.
We carefully watched the video and noticed the Aito M5 crossover from Huawei and Seres parked near a group of people. The Huawei delegation could have visited the CATL’s headquarters to check the new chassis. The Chinese battery maker signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Huawei last December. They are also involved in the Avatr electric brand from Changan. So, these companies have a story of cooperation behind them, and Huawei can become one of the first customers of the CIIC.
More about the CIIC
A few weeks ago, CATL announced its skateboard platform completed the testing phase in China. The car sitting on this chassis was a B-class sedan. It has an energy consumption of 10.5 kWh/100km, suitable for 1,000 km range. The CIIC’s battery pack efficiency reached 75%. It can charge 300 km in five minutes.
The CIIC integrates batteries, e-motors, and other vital elements to lower production costs, vehicle weight, and energy consumption while maximizing passenger space. It also has high-voltage and low-voltage systems, steering and braking systems, and chassis domain controllers and uses CTC (cell-to-chassis) tech.
On the other hand, netizens fear that the repair cost will become the drawback of this chassis. Since every element is integrated into the system, minor damage can lead to huge repair costs.
Neta and CATL signed a partnership agreement to develop the platform in October this year. It also signed the same agreement with VinFast. CATL shared that CIIC will start mass production in Q3 2024. At the same time, the first Neta vehicle underpinned by the new chassis will enter the Chinese market. It seems that Huawei will also get the CIIC. We will closely monitor the situation, so stay tuned!
Source: Weibo, Imsilkroad
The battery doesn’t look very aerodynamic but it has a tiny frontal area so the energy consumption seems plausible.