Oil company thinks it’s solved the biggest problem with electric cars

• New battery cooling fluid could cut 10-80% charge to under 10 minutes
• One fluid can be used for all of a car’s cooling systems
• Better cooling could increase EV range too

Shell Lubricants has developed a new battery cooling fluid which could drastically cut the time needed for recharging.

Shell claims the new thermal fluid could allow a 10-80% charge in less than 10 minutes. Typically, this would take around half an hour today, even with ultra-rapid charging.

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The new fluid also promises to reduce the number of components needed to cool a car’s electric drivetrain, reducing weight. This in turn should make electric cars more efficient and cheaper to power.

“Our Shell EV-Plus Thermal Fluid’s ability to entirely replace traditional glycol-based coolants and work with existing hardware is a game-changer. It shows that you don’t need a patchwork of cooling systems; one fluid can do it all, enabling ultra-fast charging and facilitating optimal drivetrain performance,” said Shell’s lead engineer on the project, Robert Mainwaring.

Shell worked on the project with the technology development company, Horiba-MIRA. Keeping electrical components within the range of temperatures at which they work best helps to improve safety and durability as well as allowing faster charging, according to Horiba-MIRA’s engineers.

“The ability to manage heat effectively across the entire power train is fundamental to unlocking the full potential of BEV technology, enabling faster charging, improved safety, and longer component life,” says Horiba-MIRA chief thermal engineer, Dr David Bridge. “This is a significant step forward in the journey towards a fully electrified and sustainable transport future.”

The cooling fluid is derived from natural gas, creating what Shell describes as a 99.5% pure base oil. Shell’s research has found that the fluid cools electrical components effectively even when the fluid is not in direct contact with the heat source. This is why Shell believes the new fluid can effectively cool all the electrical powertrain components, not just the battery.

Electric cars work at their absolute best at 21.5°C according to the telematics company, Geotab. It’s quite well known that low temperatures reduce the range of an EV, but extremely high temperatures can have a similar effect. According to EV data specialist Recurrent, range drops by 15% in temperatures of 35°C. So, better cooling could be key to reducing the negative impact of high temperatures on EV range.

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