Chery electric vehicle Tiggo 9’s battery passes 24-hour test in seawater
Image: Chery
Chery tested the battery and the Tiggo 9 CSH under extreme conditions. During the “Black Sea Safety Challenge,” held for the first time in Europe, the plug-in hybrid SUV’s battery pack was submerged about one meter deep in seawater for 24 hours. The test examined aspects such as sealing, insulation, structural integrity, electrical condition, as well as the impact of salt and potential corrosion.
After retrieval and drying, Chery tested the battery again for tightness, insulation performance, structural integrity, and electrical condition. The battery pack showed no defects and was reinstalled in the Tiggo 9 CSH. “The vehicle started on the first try and demonstrated stable performance during subsequent functional tests,” according to the report.
In a second challenge, the Tiggo 9 CSH underwent a underbody scraping test. The vehicle drove down from a 250 millimeter high step with rounded curb edges. This simulated the potential impact of the underbody contacting obstacles during normal driving conditions.
In the Tiggo 9, Chery combines battery protection with passive and active safety features. The body structure is composed of 85 percent high-strength steel, supplemented by a 140 millimeter high front crash beam that covers 85 percent of the vehicle’s width. Up to ten airbags, along with sensors and driver assistance functions, are also part of the safety equipment.
"Safety cannot be just a promise. It must be integrated into development from the start, thoroughly tested, and reliably proven," says Aaron Zheng, Executive Deputy General Manager of Chery. For the special hybrid battery, the company cites features such as high-voltage shutdown within two milliseconds, IP68 protection, and an operating temperature range of -35 °C to 60 °C. The battery system has also undergone 100 reliability tests.
Chery will introduce its core brand in Germany by 2027. The Chinese manufacturer has officially confirmed the launch of the Tiggo series for this timeframe. Initially, four SUVs with full or plug-in hybrid powertrains are planned: Tiggo 4, Tiggo 7, Tiggo 8, and Tiggo 9. The Tiggo 4 is set to be a full hybrid, while the Tiggo 7 will offer both full hybrid and plug-in hybrid options. The Tiggo 8 and Tiggo 9 are intended to be available as plug-in hybrids. A purely battery-electric Chery model is expected to follow at a later date.
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Thomas Langenbucher is an expert in electromobility with experience in the automotive and financial industries. Since 2011, he has been covering electric vehicles, sustainable technologies, and mobility solutions for ecomento.de. Learn more.
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