JAC’s electric vehicle division, Yiwei, has entered into an agreement with CATL, a leading battery manufacturer, to develop new models utilizing CATL’s latest skateboard chassis, dubbed Bedrock. This partnership encompasses collaborative efforts in researching and developing advanced chassis technologies.
Previously, the two companies signed a strategic cooperation agreement in January 2024, which indicated that Yiwei would implement CATL’s CIIC (CATL Integrated Intelligent Chassis) skateboard chassis. Reports suggest that the Bedrock chassis acts as the premium version of this model.
The new vehicles, built on this EV platform featuring cell-to-chassis technology, will include fully electric vehicles with battery-swapping capabilities, as well as extended-range electric vehicles (EREVs). The timeline for introducing these models to the market remains unclear.
In addition to vehicle development, Yiwei and CATL will conduct joint research on intelligent chassis technologies, focusing on thermal management, battery configurations, and electronic architectures. CATL unveiled its Bedrock chassis last year, emphasizing heightened safety features. Notably, this chassis can absorb up to 85% of impact energy, a significant increase compared to the 60% absorption rate of traditional chassis designs. It is engineered to endure collisions at speeds of 120 km/h without the risk of fire or explosion.
Previously, it was reported that the Neta S Kombi was set to be the first model utilizing CATL’s CIIC chassis. However, due to financial challenges faced by Neta, other manufacturers, like Avatr—who is partially owned by CATL—are expected to lead the charge with the Bedrock chassis.
Source: Electrive
