Shell’s EV thermal management fluid enables faster charging, enhanced safety

Shell Lubricants has successfully formulated and demonstrated a high-performance electric vehicle (EV) thermal management fluid with the ability to unlock significant reductions in charging times without compromise to battery safety, thermal stability, or lifespan, aiding the widespread adoption of battery electric vehicles (BEVs).

In collaboration with RML Group, a 34kWHr battery pack using Shell EV-Plus Thermal Fluid featuring proprietary Shell Gas-to-Liquid (GTL) Technology has been developed which is capable of charging from 10% to 80% capacity in under 10 minutes. The thermal fluid significantly reduces thermal stresses, allowing much higher cell charging currents to be tolerated.

If utilized in a carefully designed lightweight and aerodynamic car operating with an economy of 10km/kWHr, a charging rate of 24km per minute spent charging would be achieved – significantly higher than the typical 5km per minute currently attained by many existing BEV designs – by optimizing performance whilst significantly reducing the number and mass of components.

Shell EV-Plus Thermal Fluids are electrically non-conductive fluids, which facilitate excellent heat transfer by filling all of the interstitial spaces within the battery pack, maximizing direct contact between the fluid and each battery cell. They accommodate the very high levels of heat generation associated with rapid charging, ensuring consistency and control of temperatures across the pack whilst offering enhanced protection against adverse thermal events. The advanced thermal management technology on display in this collaborative project was developed to showcase compact battery pack designs that are elegant, cost-effective, and less complex.

“As we celebrate World EV Day, we are thrilled to demonstrate that Shell EV-Plus Thermal Fluids can help to significantly improve battery thermal performance, paving the way towards higher charging efficiencies, enhanced safety, convenience, and cost-effectiveness – to support the widespread adoption of BEVs demanded by legislative initiatives around the world,” says Jason Wong, global executive vice president, Shell Lubricants.

“This evolution is a testament to our commitment to collaborative innovation towards enabling more value with less emissions – building on our experience in high-performance transformer oils, proprietary Gas-to-Liquid (GTL) technology, and single-phase immersion cooling fluids for data centers.”

The market for BEVs has grown significantly, with BEV sales increasing 14% in 2024 compared to 2023. From the Shell Recharge Survey, EVs in both Europe and the U.S. are driven further than internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles with more than 52% of EVs in Europe and the U.S. driven over 15,000km a year vs 22% of non-EVs in Europe and 42% in the U.S. Yet, among those not driving an EV, more than 44% in Europe, the U.S., and China cite concerns about range anxiety or lack of public charging points.

“Consumers are in pursuit of better energy efficiency, longer driving range and faster charging,” says Robert Mainwaring, Shell’s lead engineer on the project. “Our ambition within this project was to show how Shell EV-Plus Thermal Fluids can support significant reductions in charging time without compromising cell integrity and lifetime. By embracing advanced thermal management solutions, we believe this will open the door to a new generation of more sustainable, efficient and cost-effective battery electric vehicle solutions.”

Shell EV-Plus thermal fluids will also be featured at The Battery Show North America in Detroit, Michigan from October 6 to 9, 2025.