Tech firm CATL, VinFast team up in e-mobility

China-based Contemporary Amperex Technology and Vietnamese electric vehicle maker VinFast have entered their global strategic cooperation, with a focus on skateboard chassis products.

As part of the new partnership, the energy technology company (CATL) and VinFast will explore forms of cooperation on CIIC (CATL integrated intelligent chassis) skateboard chassis, the firm announced Monday from Osaka, where the two sides signed a memorandum of understanding Sunday for the partnership.

Currently, the two sides are cooperating in cell-to-pack battery supply so that VinFast can get rapid access to the global market, the firm added.

CIIC skateboard chassis integrates battery packs, electric motors, and other critical units into a single layer at the bottom of the vehicle, lowering purchasing cost, vehicle weight and energy consumption while maximizing cabin space for optimal driving experiences.

CATL added that it was poised to cooperate with VinFast in other areas toward promoting battery innovation and e-mobility transition.

CATL is a global leader in new energy technology innovation. According to Korean research firm SNE Research, CATL’s electric vehicle battery consumption volume ranked first in the world for five consecutive years since 2021. The Shenzhen Stock Exchange-listed global company says it maintains continuous innovation in four dimensions namely material and electrochemistry systems, structure systems, manufacturing, and business models.

VinFast is shipping its made-in-Vietnam EVs to the U.S., Canada, and Europe for its plans to deliver the products to its first global customers in the markets this December.

The carmaker was set up in 2017 by Vingroup, Vietnam's biggest private corporation, and has already shifted to totally producing EVs.