Lube-Tech Introduction


Automobile manufacturers are in the process of mass-developing the electrification of their models; a technological revolution that stems from the anti-pollution legislation the industry has had to take into account in recent decades. In their ongoing quest for lower fuel consumption and fewer emissions, carmakers have benefited from the constant support of the lubricants industry [1] which has naturally stepped up to the mark to propose a variety of innovations for electric vehicles. The introduction of a specific range of fluids for electrified vehicles by TotalEnergies [2] in 2019 has been followed by the release of products made by other players in the segment.


The technical characteristics of fluids for electric vehicles differ from those of conventional lubricants. Battery fluids, for example, are new to the market and respond to the expansion of zero-emissions vehicles. Over and beyond their characteristics, however, it is important to understand how these brand-new products required a different, particularly agile approach to their development.


Electric vehicle fluids: a new range in response to specific constraints The thermal properties of fluids for electric vehicles are of capital importance. For decades, the lubricants industry has long sought to optimise friction and


26 LUBE MAGAZINE NO.168 APRIL 2022


PUBLISHED BY LUBE: THE EUROPEAN LUBRICANTS INDUSTRY MAGAZINE


No.139 page 1


Electric Mobility: A New Era for Thermal Fluids


Nicolas Champagne, Research and Development, e-Mobility & Thermal Management, TotalEnergies


fuel economy, but today its focus is on improving the thermal properties of the fluids it proposes, with thermal management having superseded fuel economy as the new primary focus.


The drivetrains of Battery Electric Vehicles (BEV) comprise four main assemblies [3], as described in Figure 1.


Figure 1: The four principal assemblies of Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) drivetrains and EV fluid functions.


While different, and sometimes more compact architectures exist, notably with regard to the electronic peripherals of the e-motor [4], each of these assemblies is subjected to different constraints which directly influence the type of fluid needed for them.


For example, certain fluids have to deliver flawless lubrication, while others don’t, but efficient cooling is always crucial and dictates the formulation of the different fluids employed.


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