Electric car owners can rejoice: New charging technology is on the way

Waiting time at fast chargers is still something many EV owners would like to have less of. Even modern fast chargers typically take around half an hour to go from 10 to 80 percent battery charge, which affects both everyday trips and long holiday journeys.

Energy company Shell is now trying to cut this waiting time significantly. Within Shell’s lubricants division, the company has developed a new coolant for electric vehicle battery packs. The idea is simple. Better management of heat in the battery should allow much higher charging power without pushing the cells beyond their comfort zone.

The new fluid is called EV-Plus Thermal Fluid and is developed from natural gas, so Shell ends up with a very clean base oil. The fluid is electrically non-conductive, which means it can get close to sensitive components without the risk of short circuits.

The goal is to use the same fluid for the battery, electric motor and other high-voltage components, so the car does not need a hodgepodge of different cooling systems.

• – Our Shell EV-Plus Thermal Fluid can replace traditional glycol-based coolants and work with existing hardware. It’s a real game-changer, says Shell Chief Engineer Robert Mainwaring.

Immersion cooling and 34 kWh test battery

The technology is based on immersion cooling. Instead of letting the coolant run through channels around the battery, the liquid fills all cavities between the cells.

This way, each cell has direct contact with the coolant and the temperature can be kept very close to the ideal level, even when the charger is pumping in high power.

Shell has built a 34 kWh battery pack together with development company RML Group. The pack uses EV-Plus Thermal Fluid and is designed to show what the technology can do in practice.

According to Electrive.com, the test setup can be charged from 10 to 80 percent in under ten minutes, and Shell talks about up to five times more range per minute of charging compared with many current EVs.

It is not just about speed. Fewer cooling components mean less weight and a simpler design, which can make electric cars cheaper to produce and cheaper to run.

Better heat management should also increase safety and extend battery life, as the cells avoid extreme temperature fluctuations.

At development partner Horiba-MIRA, engineers point out that electric cars run most efficiently when the temperature around the battery is somewhere near a normal Danish summer day.

In severe frost or high temperatures, the range drops significantly, so precise heat management can provide more stable mileage all year round.

• – Efficient management of heat throughout the powertrain is key to faster charging, better safety and longer component life, says the company’s Head of Thermal Development, David Bridge.

Politicians are chasing more electric cars

While Shell is testing new cooling technology in laboratories and on test benches, politicians in several countries are working to encourage more people to switch to electric cars.

In Sweden, the government has presented a new climate plan that includes a targeted premium for low-income households in sparsely populated areas.

The first draft suggested that families in rural areas could receive around SEK 54,000 in subsidies, which is approximately €4,900. However, after objections from the EU, the model was put on hold and the plans have now been adjusted.

According to the latest announcements, the ceiling for the general electric car premium is closer to SEK 46,800, or around €4,300. In addition, households in sparsely populated areas with lower incomes can receive a starting supplement of approximately SEK 18,000, or around €1,600.

The Swedish Environmental Protection Agency is working to get the new scheme ready within a tight schedule, and the authorities see it as an important tool to get more electric cars out where public transportation is sparse.

If Shell’s coolant ends up in mass-produced cars, such support schemes will land in a market with faster and more convenient charging.

Shorter stops at the charger, more efficient use of energy and potentially lower running costs could combine to make electric cars more attractive to both urban commuters and rural families.