From Saltwater Immersion to Underbody Scraping, Real Technology Stands Up to Transparent Testing
CONSTANȚA, Romania, Sept. 25, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — From September 22 to 24, Constanța, a coastal city on Romania’s Black Sea coast, welcomed more than 150 media representatives from 16 European countries to witness the CHERY CSH Global Safety Challenge in Europe. At CHERY’s invitation, media and technical experts came together to observe the safety tests in an open and transparent setting.
Two consecutive engineering safety tests addressed Safety concerns through on-site testing and measurable results
On the evening of September 22, the 34.46 kWh high-voltage battery from the TIGGO9 CSH was removed from the vehicle on site and fully immersed in a 3.5% NaCl saltwater solution. After 24 hours, the test was completed. Engineers inspected the battery enclosure, connectors and pressure relief valve, followed by checks of its airtightness and insulation performance. The results showed no visible signs of corrosion, swelling or leakage, while no traces of water were found inside the connectors. The measured leakage rate was 8.067 Pa/min, while insulation resistance remained above 500 MΩ, both meeting the test criteria.
Following reinstallation of the battery, the vehicle operated normally, paving the way for the second challenge — the underbody scraping test. Designed to simulate situations in which the vehicle underbody encounters road obstacles or sudden changes in road level, the TIGGO9 CSH drove over a 250 mm-high step obstacle at 14–15 km/h. Engineers then inspected the vehicle underbody and battery enclosure. While scratches were found on the PVC coating of the underbody protection plate, no structural damage or cracking was found on the battery enclosure. No electrolyte leakage was detected, the relevant connectors and cooling circuits showed no abnormalities, and no safety warning appeared on the vehicle dashboard.
With European journalists and German technical experts observing the process, both tests were successfully completed, with the results demonstrating that the TIGGO9 CSH battery maintained its structural condition and normal functionality after exposure to two different forms of stress: prolonged saltwater immersion and physical impact from underneath the vehicle.
The TIGGO Family Takes to the Road, with a 19-Vehicle Convoy Exploring the Black Sea Coast
On the morning of September 23, a 19-vehicle TIGGO convoy set out from Mamaia Beach in Constanța. The route followed Lake Siutghiol and the Black Sea coast towards Corbu Beach before turning inland, passing through the limestone landscapes of Cheile Dobrogei and the Gura Dobrogei Nature Reserve, before returning to Mamaia via Mihail Kogălniceanu and Ovidiu.
(Test drive ceremony)
From coastline and lakes to limestone gorges and open countryside, the route brought together the diverse landscapes of the Dobrogea region while offering a variety of European road environments. The TIGGO4, TIGGO7, TIGGO8 and TIGGO9 travelled the route together, giving media and guests an opportunity to experience the vehicles from behind the wheel.
The road drive brought CHERY’s technology back into everyday driving conditions — from engineering testing to the road, from technology to users, and ultimately to the everyday journeys of families.
From Every Journey to Every Family
From the Black Sea coast to the heart of Dobrogea, and from engineering testing to everyday road experience, CHERY remains focused on how technology can ultimately serve every family’s mobility needs.
As the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival approaches, family and togetherness sharing the same core for this journey. For CHERY, safety is not only a continuous engineering challenge, but also a responsibility to protect every journey and every moment that brings families together.
As the moon shines over the sea, bringing people together across distances, CHERY’s commitment to family mobility will continue from Europe to the rest of the world. In October, CHERY will host its 2026 Chery International User Summit in Wuhu, China, bringing together users from around the world to share their journeys and explore closer connections between people, vehicles and the brand.
From a single safety challenge to every journey that follows, CHERY remains committed to using technology to protect mobility and putting users at the centre — helping make every journey more confident and reassuring.
Safety. For Family.
Contact: Sylvie Zhang
Company Name: Chery Automobile Co., Ltd. Europe Region
Website: https://www.cheryinternational.com
Email: [email protected]
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/f73b28ce-cc48-452d-bd28-001f15e57e69
