New EV battery survives 54-hour saltwater submersion without a scratch or spark
Zero faults recorded after 54-hour saltwater submersion; next test to evaluate underbody resilience in Mexico.
On June 17, Chery Automobile advanced to the second phase of its Global Safety Challenge, conducting critical tests in Indonesia to validate battery safety under high-humidity conditions.
The exercise is part of Chery’s six-scenario evaluation system, which includes heat, cold, dryness, humidity, high-speed, and rough terrain environments.
The focus in Jakarta was on extreme humidity, a known stressor for electric vehicle (EV) battery systems.
Battery survives 54-hour ocean submersion
The core of the assessment centered on the performance of Chery’s proprietary “Guardian Battery,” installed in the Chery Super Hybrid (CSH) platform.
The test subjected the battery to 53 hours and 51 minutes of continuous saltwater soaking, designed to simulate high-moisture conditions that could occur in tropical or coastal deployments.
The results were conclusive: no leakage, no short circuit, no thermal runaway, and complete structural integrity were reported.
Representatives from 80 media outlets, local industry experts, and regulatory personnel, including Heri Prabowo, Head of the Sub-Directorate of Motor Vehicle Type Testing, Ministry of Transportation, and Notary Christian Andersen, were present to witness and validate the procedure independently.
Once reinstalled in the vehicle post-immersion, the Guardian Battery powered the system on the first attempt and delivered stable energy throughout a controlled road trial. No anomalies were recorded during or after the driving phase.
The Guardian Battery features IP68-rated waterproofing and dust protection, an ultra-fast 2-millisecond emergency power cut-off mechanism, and an operating temperature envelope ranging from -35°C to 60°C.
In addition, it includes a 24/7 real-time health monitoring system. These capabilities, combined with advanced electrical insulation and heat management architecture, position the battery among the most robust units in its class.
No failures
Passive safety mechanisms were also showcased. The TIGGO8 CSH vehicle, the platform host for the Guardian Battery, is outfitted with a high-strength steel underbody plate rated at 780 MPa tensile strength.
This provides enhanced resistance against physical deformation or puncture during terrain-induced impact.
Beyond the technical demonstration, Chery emphasized practical usability during the event.
The TIGGO8 CSH’s 5+2 seating layout, automated third-row folding seats, and a class-leading 1,930-liter cargo capacity were demonstrated.
In addition, the vehicle’s Vehicle-to-Load (V2L) feature, rated at 3.3 kW, supports external power supply, further broadening the platform’s utility for civilian and emergency operations.
Chery’s safety benchmark draws comparison with legacy European OEMs, including Volvo.
The Global Safety Challenge campaign, designed to stress-test the CSH platform under varied operational extremes, has become the brand’s key instrument in validating system-level reliability.
Following the humidity-focused validation in Indonesia, the third stage of the campaign will shift to the Mexican market.
An underbody scraping test will assess mechanical durability and thermal management under road impact conditions.
With these tests, Chery aims to demonstrate its battery systems’ technical maturity and readiness to meet global safety standards across operational domains.
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New EV battery survives 54-hour saltwater submersion without a scratch or spark, source
