At 2024 Beijing International Auto Show, CATL's CTC-focused Integrated Intelligent Chassis (shortened as “CIIC”, commonly known as “Skateboard Chassis” in the industry) made its first public appearance! Its core characteristics are “top hat decoupled from chassis + highly integrated + open to the public”. Through the scalable software/hardware architecture and the standardized interface design, this product can seamlessly accommodate a diverse range of vehicle models with one single chassis framework.

As an independently self-driving mobile energy unit, CIIC undertakes three major functions: motion center, energy center, and data center. In the “second half” of the automotive intelligence era, this product will better enable OEM customers to save resources, focus on the development of intelligent driving, intelligent cockpit and vehicle styling, and reduce the resource waste caused by redundant manufacturing efforts, thus truly realizing “Scenario defined vehicle”.

Based on CATL's advanced power battery technology genes, CIIC is battery-centric in its overall design and adopts CTC (Cell to Chassis) technology. By integrating battery cells directly into the chassis and enabling higher chassis assembly efficiency, this technology can easily achieve a cruising range of over 1,000 kilometers, or downgrade the battery's chemical system with the same cruising range, while supporting different battery categories and battery swap solutions such as Qilin batteries and Shenxing batteries.

In terms of overall product form, this technology smoothly integrates crucial subsystems like batteries, e-drives and thermal management into the chassis. Such deep blending of these three electric systems optimizes system efficiency and saves more space for the top hat. Through integrated design innovation, CIIC can absorb 80% of the vehicle's collision energy, reduce the correlation between styling and safety, and allow more freedom in vehicle design.

To meet the demands for various customer vehicle models and specific scenarios, CIIC is equipped with a rich set of Toolkits solutions, so customers can flexibly select subsystem solutions based on specific needs for different vehicle product definitions and functions.

Unveiled at this Beijing Auto Show, CIIC is powered by robust solutions like electric pedal hydraulic braking, electric pedal hydraulic steering, rear-wheel steering, electronically-controlled suspension and four-wheel drive control, all of which are developed independently by CATL Intelligent Tech (a subsidiary of CATL). Among these solutions, the electric pedal hydraulic braking (EPHB) system is the industry's first truly physically-decoupled hydraulic solution. It eliminates the mechanical connection between the brake pedals and the electronically-controlled units, while adding software redundancy strategies, safety monitoring mechanism and fault handling mechanism to ensure system safety and robustness. It is a significant technical breakthrough in realizing thorough decoupling of the top hat from the chassis.

Apart from innovating in technology products, CATL Intelligent Tech is also actively exploring about the sustainable development paths brought by CIIC.

For example: (1) Through standardized software/hardware interface design and the “shared chassis” model, CIIC will help upstream and downstream companies implement sustainable public procurement strategies, optimize the complex supply chain system of the traditional automotive industry, and realize sustainable corporate governance. (2) CIIC-based vehicles are likely to have a replaceable top-hat throughout their life cycles, which enables tiered utilization of the chassis in different scenarios; In response to the consumers' demand for personalized vehicle model updates, CIIC can reduce vehicle replacement costs and resource consumption, realize sustainable and responsible consumption and production, and increase the net welfare benefits of economic activities. (3) By successfully implementing the decoupling of the top hat from the chassis, CIIC will better meet the needs for personalized layout of the vehicle as the third space, create a life+work space for more personalized workers, bring personalized income growth, and fulfill “spiritual decency” and “economic decency”.

Grounded in CATL's sustainable development policy of “All-win Harmony, Innovate to Achieve, Legitimate Operation, Eco-friendly”, CIIC will continue to explore about making contributions to the United Nations 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through constant technological innovations.

At this Beijing International Auto Show, CATL's CIIC was exhibited at the E2 exhibition hall and attracted close attention from various industries. With its innovative design concept and technological advantages, it has inspired new imaginations and industry-wide discussions about future mobility, and may hopefully provide new business ideas for and inject new vitality into the new-energy vehicle industry.