Automobile parts

The electric vehicle chassis is no longer just a "metal frame" that supports the body. It has been redefined as a "smart skeleton" that integrates electrification and intelligence.

The core drivers of this transformation come from two major directions: the restructuring of chassis architecture toward integration and lightweighting, and the evolution of chassis control toward intelligence and AI-enabled systems.

Structural Restructuring: A Lighter, More Integrated Physical Chassis

Traditional automotive chassis, along with engines and transmissions, have long been dominated by international giants, characterized by high technical barriers and mature supply chains. China's automotive industry chose electrification as a breakthrough to bypass these traditional strongholds, but the chassis domain has become an unavoidable challenge.

Today's EV chassis has undergone a complete physical transformation.

Giga-casting is rewriting the rules. Hubei Hangte Equipment Manufacturing Co., Ltd. pioneered an integrated low-pressure cast aluminum load-bearing frame with a projected area of 4.2 square meters and wall thickness ranging from 4mm to 50mm, achieving the industry's first one-piece forming of an ultra-large thin-walled structural component. Traditional aluminum frames require dozens of parts assembled through welding—a complex process with joints that often become weak points. The cast-in-one aluminum frame consolidates dozens of parts into a single unit, reducing structural weaknesses and enhancing safety and stability.

After Tesla applied Giga-casting to the Model Y's front underbody and rear floor, the number of parts was reduced from 171 to 2, and weld points were reduced by over 1,600. Xiaomi SU7's rear floor also adopted large-scale casting, reducing 72 parts to 1 and cutting 840 weld points.

Skateboard chassis are on the rise. This design places the battery pack, electric motor, suspension, and other core systems entirely on the chassis, lowering the vehicle's center of gravity, improving handling, and offering greater freedom for body styling. Ferrari's first electric vehicle also adopts a skateboard chassis architecture, with the battery pack laid flat across the entire floor.

Control Evolution: From Mechanical to AI-Powered Smart Chassis

An even more significant transformation is taking place at the control level.

Traditional chassis were designed for internal combustion engine vehicles and are structurally and logically mismatched with the battery and motor systems of EVs—they must be re-architected and integrated. In this context, "x-by-wire" technology has become the core direction of chassis evolution. Brake-by-wire, steer-by-wire, and intelligent suspension not only improve response speed and control precision but also provide reliable actuation for autonomous driving.

The role of the smart chassis is being redefined. Smart driving is the brain; the chassis is the cerebellum. No matter how precise the brain's decisions are, if the cerebellum fails to execute them properly, the vehicle still cannot achieve safe and efficient autonomous driving.

AI is pushing the chassis into the era of "embodied intelligence." NIO globally introduced its AI smart chassis system for the first time in January 2024. Using a fusion of dynamic sensors, cameras, and LiDAR distributed throughout the vehicle, it predicts road bumps ahead and feed-forward adjusts suspension parameters. The NIO ET9 is equipped with the SkyRide full-by-wire intelligent chassis, which integrates three core hardware systems—steer-by-wire, rear-wheel steering, and fully active suspension—and achieved the first domestic certification from China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology for aviation-grade steer-by-wire.

Trend: From "Technology Breakthrough" to "Platform Definition"

In 2025, the Intelligent Chassis Branch of the China Society of Automotive Engineers released the "2025 Intelligent Chassis Development Consensus," stating that intelligent electric chassis are transitioning from a phase of "technology breakthrough" to a new stage of "platform definition and ecosystem collaboration." Key technologies have been validated and are entering scaled mass production, with the industry's focus shifting from "achieving functionality" to "defining user experience."

The chassis accounts for more than 70% of a vehicle's total cost, making it a critical factor in determining product competitiveness. Advancing the localization and high-end development of chassis technology is not only about technological security but also directly tied to whether Chinese automotive brands can secure pricing power and a voice in global competition.

It is anticipated that 2026 will mark the first year of mass production for Electronic Mechanical Braking (EMB) systems, positioning China to achieve parity or even leadership in the chassis x-by-wire technology race.

The chassis is evolving from an "actuation system" into an integrated "perception-decision-control" system. As the industry consensus states: "A strong chassis means a strong automotive industry. Only by mastering core chassis technologies can China's auto industry truly transform from a 'sales giant' into a 'technological powerhouse.'"