Even for electric vehicles moving at speeds close to the permitted ones, the issue of safety of traction batteries in case of an accident is of great importance, since lithium-ion batteries can catch fire if they are seriously mechanically damaged. The head of Xiaomi recently demonstrated in a very original way the strength of the coating of the branded batteries of the electric sports car SU7 Ultra.
Image source: Xiaomi
For a car that can accelerate to 359 km/h, passive safety is not an empty phrase, but since Xiaomi is supplied with battery cells by CATL, the first of them can only influence the design of the traction battery at the level of the power frame and the outer shell. It is precisely its properties that Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun advertised by dropping a melon from the sixth floor as part of an experiment. The latter, when hitting the asphalt from such a height, not only did not fly apart, but did not even crack, but simply bounced several times, like a ball, but remained intact.
The secret of such survivability of the fruit lies in its outer coating. The gray granular shell that protected the melon when it fell is similar in composition to the shell of the traction battery of the SU7 Ultra electric car. The super-strong 14-layer coating contains steel granules and allows the integrity of the case to be maintained during serious impacts. However, the durable shell is not the only advantage of the traction battery of the SU7 Ultra. It is also equipped with an active thermoregulation system and aerogel-based insulation, and the intelligent power management system allows its condition to be remotely monitored in real time.