Mazda’s Chinese joint venture will roll out electric vehicle models built on the so-called skateboard chassis from CATL, making Mazda the first international car brand to use the battery giant’s innovative technology, according to an announcement published Tuesday. The skateboard chassis, which enables decoupled development of upper and lower car bodies, will significantly reduce the development cycle for CATL and Changan Mazda—a joint venture between Mazda and China’s Changan—and allow them to adapt to a changing market, the companies said. Chinese premium EV brand Avatr, co-developed by Changan, CATL and Huawei, was the first automaker to use the chassis, which integrates CATL’s battery directly into the car’s frame, TechNode has reported. Sales of Mazda declined 14.2% year over year to approximately 75,600 units in China last year. [TechNode reporting, CATL announcement, in Chinese]
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