In the field of autonomous taxi (Robotaxi), CATL is also actively deploying its resources. According to Start Lithium, multiple media reports indicate that Times Intelligence, a subsidiary of CATL, has signed a cooperation agreement with T3 Mobility, focusing on CATL's Panshi skateboard chassis as the core for strategic layout. Specifically, CATL will take on the role of hardware manufacturer, providing T3 Mobility with electrification solutions such as battery swapping, full redundancy, and full-by-wire adaptation, while T3 Mobility will be responsible for operational services, focusing on three key directions: first, building an adaptive platform; second, developing customized products; third, collaborating with automakers and algorithm companies to provide scenario support through data. In the future, the two parties will carry out project cooperation in technical integration, product definition, R&D testing, data sharing, and intelligent upgrading around the Panshi chassis and Robotaxi operational scenarios.

01 How Powerful is the Panshi Chassis?

The CATL Panshi chassis was officially unveiled in April this year, with high safety, strong performance, and high intelligence as its core features. It adopts full-by-wire technology, equipped with an axial flux distributed motor system (AMDS) and an intelligent low-voltage power supply and distribution system. In the event of a frontal collision at 120km/h, it achieves no fire or explosion, ensuring three major safety aspects: structural safety, cell safety, and high-voltage safety.

The design of the chassis incorporates bionic and biomechanical principles, featuring a "three-dimensional tortoise shell structure" and "aircraft carrier-style arresting structure," with multiple arresting paths added to disperse force transmission, enabling the vehicle to decelerate step by step and reduce obstacle intrusion into the body. In terms of materials, it uses submarine-grade hot-formed steel and aerospace aluminum, ensuring the support strength and stability of the chassis.

The cells equipped in the Panshi chassis have passed three key safety tests: 60km/h impact, right-angle bending, and penetrating sawing, with no thermal runaway occurring, ensuring safety. Additionally, the chassis is equipped with an intelligent high-voltage management system and a lightning high-voltage cutoff system, which cuts off the high-voltage circuit within 0.01 seconds after a collision to prevent secondary risks.

Furthermore, if the Panshi chassis is installed with the Axial Flux Distributed Motor System (AMDS), it will deliver 6,200Nm of wheel-side peak torque, 500kW of peak power, and 320kW of maximum continuous power output. The combination of these three enables an easy 0-100km/h acceleration in 5 seconds, along with a smaller turning radius and enhanced maneuverability.

For autonomous driving, the Panshi chassis is equipped with the SICC intelligent chassis domain controller, providing precise status information for intelligent driving. The standardized electrical and software interfaces on the chassis can adapt to various intelligent driving solutions.

02 A Promising Future for Robotaxi

Progress in the Robotaxi sector has accelerated this month. Domestically, Pony.ai announced that its autonomous driving system-equipped Arcfox Alpha T5 Robotaxi has started road testing, and multiple models of Pony.ai's seventh-generation Robotaxi have entered mass production. Internationally, Tesla has increased the price of its Robotaxi service to $6.9 per trip and upgraded its Robotaxi app, with plans to launch the service in the San Francisco Bay Area within the next 1-2 months.

The North American Robotaxi market is dominated by three players: Tesla, Google's Waymo, and Amazon's Zoox, forming a "tripartite rivalry" that has attracted global attention. Currently, the number of operational vehicles among these players is relatively close, with Waymo having the most at fewer than 2,000, but all have identified 2025 as a crucial year to expand scale and coverage. Elon Musk even boldly predicted that over 100,000 Tesla Robotaxis will be operating in the U.S. market by the end of next year.

However, large-scale operation requires overcoming three major pain points: technology, cost, and policies. In terms of technology, videos on social media show that Tesla's Robotaxi autonomous driving system is not yet fully responsive, with issues such as sudden braking when there is no obstacle ahead and briefly crossing double yellow lines to reverse direction.

Cost investment is also significant: the total cost of Waymo's fifth-generation vehicles is approximately $100,000, while Tesla's Cybercab is expected to drop to under $30,000 after mass production. Notably, Robotaxi is a highly regulated industry with no prior examples to follow. Policies have started with small-scale pilots and will gradually expand; after commercialization, relevant regulations and insurance systems still need to be improved.

In this fiercely competitive sector—where technological precision is paramount—a "hundred flowers blooming" scenario is unlikely, but the intensity of competition will be no less than that in the lithium battery track.