Everyone Finds China’s Comically Poor Battery Ejector Concept Unfunny

      A ludicrous product demonstration video from a Chinese car safety expo has been circulating this week, providing much amusement. The footage features a boxy SUV launching its massive underbody EV battery with enough force to resemble a gadget from a James Bond film. From a safety standpoint, this appears to be rather questionable.

      It seems the concept is to eject a battery if it begins to catch fire. However, commenters on platforms like Bluesky and Facebook, among others, have quickly highlighted that transforming a large, burning battery into a projectile is extremely hazardous for anyone near the vehicle.

      I genuinely struggle to understand how such a system is meant to function in an emergency. Strained batteries typically expand, which would hinder a clean ejection through a designated opening. Furthermore, if a fire were to occur, it’s likely that the launch mechanism would be one of the first parts to sustain damage.

      Nonetheless, it’s definitely entertaining to watch!

      The vehicle in the demo closely resembles a BAIC Jishi 01, though it’s not an exact match. (There are several Chinese SUVs that bear a strong resemblance to the current Land Rover Defender.) Initial reports from Chinese media mentioned that the battery-ejecting product was a joint effort between the China Automobile Technology and Research Center and a firm called Joyson Electronics, but this claim was promptly refuted.

      The CATRAC is indeed a legitimate organization; it recently hosted a significant public safety event, and the video features banners displaying the date September 19, 2025. However, the whole demonstration and its recording appear quite strange. China boasts impressive automotive technology, making the proposal of a burning battery missile concept seem nonsensical. Additionally, despite having access to high-quality cameras, every upload of this peculiar demo appears to have been filmed poorly.

      Numerous comments along these lines have been made regarding this video.

      I am inclined to give the organizers the benefit of the doubt; perhaps they were attempting to illustrate how violently a battery could be unintentionally ejected during a collision. However, the banners behind the car do state “battery launch technology,” so perhaps they aren’t joking? I haven’t found a satisfactory explanation, but I suspect that if you haven't yet seen this video, you'll find it as amusing as the rest of the internet has.

      Have a tip? Or any insight into what's happening here? Feel free to reach out to me at [email protected].