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Chinese researchers have developed an experimental electric vehicle battery system designed to eject a burning battery pack away from the car in under a second. Testing footage has circulated online, demonstrating a mechanism that senses the beginning of a battery fire and flings the pack clear of the vehicle.
How the Ejection System Works
The prototype system utilizes a gas generator similar to those used in airbag deployment. When the battery management system detects an impending fire, the generator pushes the entire battery pack sideways, sending it resting about 10 to 20 feet away from the vehicle.
A project staff member told the Chinese outlet iFeng that the hardware evolved from research into side-loading battery swaps. According to the staff member, the system is intended to remain locked in dense urban areas and mixed traffic environments, though 36Kr reported that the necessary software for making those distinctions has not yet been built.
The viral video credited the system to the China Collision Repair Technology Center and Shanghai-listed car parts supplier Joyson Electronics. However, Joyson told Yicai that it has no cooperation or joint development agreement with the center. Additionally, iCar—a Chery brand whose 03 SUV resembles the test vehicle—stated on Chinese social media that it had no involvement in the demonstration. Yicai also found no business registration for the center, and a source reported that it belongs to Maite Group, a car repair and aftermarket company that did not answer phone calls.
The Challenge of Battery Fires
Lithium-ion cells in thermal runaway generate heat much faster than they can dissipate it. UL Research Institutes notes that thermal runaway occurs when temperatures rise by more than 20 degrees Celsius per minute, exceeding peaks of 300 degrees Celsius while venting gas, smoke, or flames. A 2020 study by the US National Transportation Safety Board examining four Tesla fires highlighted that batteries can reignite multiple times, with one fire requiring over 20,000 gallons of water to extinguish.
When the Fire Safety Research Institute at UL burned 18 EVs for an August 2026 study, it discovered that none of the available suppression techniques could halt thermal runaway once initiated. Consequently, moving a hazardous battery pack away from vehicle occupants represents one of the few viable strategies that does not rely on extinguishing the fire directly.
Industry Solutions and Patents
Automakers are pursuing various solutions to address combusting batteries. Stellantis’ US division has filed a patent application for a quick-release system activated via a cabin or trunk switch, utilizing sliding frames or explosive bolts to drop the pack while a 12-volt motor rolls the car away. Meanwhile, a 2024 patent jointly held by Hyundai and Kia uses a temperature sensor, requiring the vehicle to be stopped and the driver to pull a lever so the pack falls under its own weight.
Other entities are tackling the issue through different methods. In July 2026, China enacted a mandatory standard requiring that battery packs neither catch fire nor explode when a single cell enters thermal runaway. Furthermore, French automaker Renault provided the entire industry with free licenses for a special port enabling fire hoses to flood battery packs directly with water, allowing emergency responders to extinguish an EV fire in roughly the same timeframe as a traditional combustion vehicle fire.
