A Chinese automaker has unveiled a controversial new safety feature designed to tackle one of the electric vehicle industry’s biggest fears — battery fires — by quite literally launching the battery out of the car.
Battery Ejection as a Fire Safety Measure
In a demonstration shared by the China Vehicle Collision Repair Technical and Research Centre, a prototype vehicle from FAW’s Bestune brand was shown rapidly ejecting its battery pack from the side of the car.
According to the research centre, the system is intended to prevent catastrophic fires caused by “thermal runaway” — a reaction where an overheating battery cell ignites or spreads heat to other cells. By ejecting the entire pack, the car could, in theory, protect passengers and limit damage to the vehicle’s structure.
The system functions in a similar way to airbags, using small explosive charges to deploy the mechanism at high speed.
An Unconventional Solution
Bestune, a sub-brand of the state-owned FAW Group, has already gained attention for its battery-swapping technology, allowing drivers to exchange depleted packs for charged ones in minutes at dedicated stations. Its NAT model was the first to integrate with the Evogo swapping network, where users can rent battery modules as needed.
However, this latest “ejection” concept has raised eyebrows across the motoring world. While it aims to improve safety, experts warn that propelling a several-hundred-kilogram battery out of a moving car could pose serious risks to bystanders.
Social media reactions to the demonstration were swift, with one commenter asking, “Are we trying to kill pedestrians instead of protecting drivers?”
According to the video’s original poster, the system would only activate under controlled conditions — specifically, when there’s at least six metres of clear, flammable-free space beside the vehicle.
Expert and Industry Reactions
Australian road safety advocate Peter Khoury of the NRMA dismissed the concept as impractical and unsafe.
“EV battery fires are very rare, but ejecting a battery out of the vehicle like a cannon is not the solution,” he said.
“In the unlikely event of a fire, the safest course is to exit the vehicle, call emergency services, and stay clear.”
No EVs currently sold in Australia feature either battery-swapping or ejection systems, and it’s unlikely such a prototype would pass local safety regulations in its current form.
Broader EV Safety Concerns
The demonstration arrives amid heightened scrutiny of EV safety in China. Regulators have recently considered banning flush, power-operated door handles after several incidents where electronic faults trapped occupants inside during emergencies.
In one case, door handle motors froze following a short circuit, preventing rescue attempts during a fire. During heavy rains in Guangdong, similar electrical faults forced passengers to break windows to escape.
As EV technology advances, manufacturers are experimenting with increasingly creative — and sometimes risky — solutions to improve safety. FAW’s ejection system may never reach production, but it underscores how far automakers are willing to push innovation to manage the complex challenge of battery safety.
