Quietly Shell Presents a Concept Electric Car with a Target of Charging in Under 10 Minutes

Shell Triple 10 Challenge electric car. (Photo: Shell)

JAKARTA - Shell has introduced a new electric vehicle concept called the Triple 10 Challenge, a project developed to inspire the design philosophy of a new generation of battery-based electric cars. This concept emphasizes efficiency, sustainability, and faster charging capabilities in a compact and affordable vehicle package.

Launching from Carscoops, Thursday, June 25, the name Triple 10 Challenge is taken from three main goals that want to be achieved, namely energy efficiency of up to 10 km/kWh, carbon footprint throughout the vehicle's life cycle of only 10 tons of CO2e, and charging time less than 10 minutes. Shell revealed that the compact-sized battery on the concept car can be filled from 10 percent to 80 percent capacity in just 9 minutes 54 seconds.

The process is carried out using a 175 kW DC fast charger which is currently quite common. In addition to offering fast charging, this concept vehicle is also designed to be more environmentally friendly.

Shell optimizes battery capacity, applies lightweight construction, and utilizes recyclable materials. The vehicle is also designed to use renewable energy completely during the charging process.

Thanks to the combination of various approaches, Shell claims that this concept is able to deliver a 50 percent reduction in life cycle emissions compared to conventional battery electric vehicles in the European market. In terms of technology, Shell calls the Triple 10 Challenge the first roadworthy vehicle that has successfully demonstrated the potential of a simplified single-circuit cooling architecture to efficiently manage the thermal load of the entire car drive system, even in the most extreme fast charging scenarios in real world conditions.

The technology has come under scrutiny for supporting the use of the latest cooling fluid developed by the company. The fluid in question is Recharge Thermal Fluid, a dielectric fluid that is claimed to be able to cool the battery directly through the immersion method while providing indirect cooling to powertrain components, including electric motors and power electronics systems.

Shell states that the fluid allows for direct cooling of the battery by way of immersion and indirect cooling of powertrain components, including motors and power electronics. The company also claims that this technology is capable of unlocking the potential for faster charging, lighter systems, and improved life cycle efficiency using existing and currently scalable technologies.

Although it has not revealed all the technical specifications of the vehicle, Shell claims that this concept offers an overall energy efficiency improvement of more than 30 percent compared to many current generation electric vehicles. In addition, the production cost of the battery pack is said to be suppressed by about 25 percent thanks to the use of fewer modules, a simpler housing design, and the use of the latest cooling fluid. Shell also confirmed that the development of electric motors and drive units was carried out by Empel Systems, while the battery and its integration were handled by RML.

In terms of design, the Triple 10 Challenge appears as a compact five-door hatchback. This car has a vertical front fascia with elongated headlights, digital rearview mirrors, flat door handles with a body, and rims designed to resemble alloy rims. The flowing roof silhouette is combined with a minimalist cabin, including the use of a rotary design transmission lever that further emphasizes the futuristic feel of the vehicle.