Mazda bags CATL’s pioneering BEV platform for future models

Mazda has forged a new collaboration with the world’s biggest battery-maker that will see the Japanese brand build some of the most advanced EVs ever made; blending a 1000km range with some of fastest charging speeds ever seen and levels of safety well beyond that of current EV and combustion vehicles.

Announcing the deal with Contemporary Amperex Technology Co Ltd (CATL) via the Changan-Mazda joint venture, Mazda’s new alliance will see future EVs based on the pioneering architecture developed by the world’s largest battery producer.

CATL’s CIIC (Cell to Chassis) skateboard architecture was revealed late last year to plenty of fanfare.

Back in December CATL claimed that any EV based on the new platform could be fitted with a big enough battery to provide a range of up to 1000km, while its own internal safety tests revealed the platform could withstand a frontal collision into a wall at speeds of up to 120km/h – well beyond the Euro NCAP required 56km/h impact speed.

Following the high-speed collision, the Chinese battery-maker claimed the passenger compartment remained largely intact, while the battery within its protective casing neither caught fire nor exploded.

The secret behind its high levels of protection is both the use of hot-stamping steel and high-strength aluminium, plus the use of pathways to channel away an impact's high energy.

The batteries themselves also come wrapped in an insulating film that help absorb the collision energy without the risk of thermal runaway.

Safety measures include being able to cut the high-voltage circuit within 0.01 seconds and discharging any high-voltage energy in around 0.2 seconds – both reducing the risk of creating the sparks that trigger a fire.

Other advances include the hardware used by CATL. There’s brake-by-wire and steer-by-wire tech, an advanced adaptive suspension and the promise of Level 3 autonomous driving (eyes off the road, hands off-the-wheel) from launch and almost fully autonomous Level 4 driving later.

Mounting the battery directly to the platform increases structural rigidity, reduces weight and frees up more space for a bigger battery.

Speaking of batteries, it’s not known which power pack Mazda will use in its next-gen EV(s) but if it chooses CATL’s latest generation of Shenxing Superfast Charging Battery, the new vehicles will blend an electric range of up to 800km with incredible charging speeds that will exceed 1300kW.

At that rate, up to 2.5km can be added every second and after a quick five-minute charge, more than 520km of range – the catch is you’ll need one of China’s latest megawatt charging stations to get anywhere near the new battery’s charging potential.

With all the development work complete, CATL says that a new model can be put into production in as little as 12-18 months – a fraction of the usual five plus years needed to create a car from scratch.

That suggests the first fruit from the Mazda-CATL partnership could arrive as soon as late next year or early 2027.

The new family of Mazda EVs have already been confirmed for both China and the Japanese firm's international markets, suggesting a launch in Australia could be on the cards.

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