TotalEnergies advances immersion cooling for EV batteries

TotalEnergies Lubrifiants has achieved a world first by integrating an immersion-cooled battery into a mass-market electric vehicle, the Renault Mégane E-Tech. This milestone demonstrates the feasibility of large-scale adoption of immersion cooling technology, offering significant benefits in efficiency, safety, and cost.

TotalEnergies first applied its innovative Cell-Shield fluid technology to a road vehicle in 2022, replacing the traditional battery cooling system in a Volvo XC90 plug-in hybrid with an immersion-cooled alternative. The results were immediate: faster charging, improved thermal management, enhanced safety, and lower costs, all without modifying the vehicle’s design.

Now, TotalEnergies has taken this technology a step further by integrating immersion cooling into a fully electric, mass-market car. The Renault Mégane E-Tech prototype showcases how this advanced cooling system can enhance battery performance while remaining economically viable for large-scale production.

Revolutionising battery technology

Immersion cooling is emerging as a key technology for the future of electric mobility, addressing the growing demand for ultra-fast charging and improved battery efficiency. By submerging lithium cells in Cell-Shield fluid, this method reduces battery size and weight while increasing range and safety. Tests on the Renault Mégane E-Tech demonstrator revealed a 50% reduction in charging time and a 6% increase in vehicle range, highlighting the system’s ability to mitigate overheating risks and enhance energy efficiency.

Pascal Correia, director of Technology & Product Engineering at TotalEnergies Lubrifiants, commented: “We are very proud of the trust the car manufacturers have placed in us for this innovative project. Our work has demonstrated the immense potential of immersion cooling with the fluids developed by our Research & Development teams. The fact that we have succeeded in grafting our system onto a production vehicle demonstrates its potential on a large scale.”

With immersion cooling offering unparalleled advantages in electric vehicle battery management, TotalEnergies Lubrifiants’ achievement marks a significant step towards the next generation of sustainable and high-performance mobility solutions.