Stellantis has registered a curious and unconventional patent that offers a radical engineering solution to deal with critical situations such as potential fire, extreme overheating or the risk of the so-called thermal breakdown of the high-voltage battery in electric cars. The new patented concept provides for a specialized system for physical and rapid release of the battery from the chassis substructure in the event of an accident.
According to the developers' technical documentation, the battery separation can be activated automatically by the on-board electronics or manually by the driver and passengers through special control elements. The installation provides for intuitive buttons, levers or digital controls located both in the passenger compartment itself and in the luggage compartment to ensure easy access by outsiders in an emergency. The process of ejecting the hazardous component itself relies on pyrotechnic elements and small explosive fasteners that instantly break the mechanical and electrical connection to the vehicle, allowing the battery pack to fall to the ground.
To prevent the vehicle from being completely immobilized right on top of a potential source of danger or near the burning battery, the system is designed with a unique protective logic. After the main heavy package, which can weigh about a ton, is dropped, the vehicle's ground clearance increases by several centimeters, and the on-board system switches to a conventional 12-volt battery. This backup power source provides a minimum electrical resource to drive the electric motors, allowing the car to move to a safe distance on its own, leaving the hazardous materials behind. Although the innovation is currently protected only as a patent idea with no official timetable for mass production, it highlights the widespread search for alternative security methods in modern electric vehicles.