Shell Gandeng RML Group Develops 10 Minute Electric Car Battery Charging Technology

Photo illustration. (Photo: Pexels)

JAKARTA - The oil and gas company Shell, is now expanding into the world of future automotive with new technological breakthroughs that promise super-fast electric car charging.

Citing a TopGear report, Thursday, September 11, for this technology, Shell collaborates with British engineering and motorsport company RML Group. Now Shell has developed a special thermal management liquid capable of fully charging electric car batteries in less than 10 minutes.

This technology works by filling small gaps in a 34kWh battery with a 'gas-to-liquid' (gas-to-liquid) thermal liquid. This exclusive liquid functions to keep the battery cell temperature cool, thus being able to withstand very high electricity during charging.

As a result, Shell claims that batteries using this liquid can be charged from 10 to 80 percent in less than 10 minutes. Shell also estimates that if this combination of batteries and special fluids is installed on cars that are "worked lightly and aerodynamically with 10km/kWh efficiency, then every minute the charging can increase the range as far as 24 kilometers.

However, there are important notes that must be considered. The efficiency rate of 10km/kWh (equivalent to 6.2mpkWh) has not yet been achieved by electric cars sold in the market. This shows that there is still great homework for the automotive industry in developing light cars and aerodynamics so that this technology can be implemented optimally.

However, despite these challenges, this step is very promising progress. Fast, reliable, and consistent charging is key to accelerating electric car adoption. As stated by Robert Mainwaring, the project's lead engineer from Shell.

"Our ambition is to show how Shell EV-Plus Thermal Fluids can support significant reductions in charging time without compromising the integrity and life of battery cells," he said.

He added, by utilizing advanced thermal management solutions, Shell believes this will pave the way for a new generation of electric vehicles that are more sustainable, efficient, and cost-effective.