Energy and lubricant company Shell has added to its range of e-fluids for passenger vehicles with a new portfolio of products aimed at commercial vehicles that have fuel cell electric (FCEV) and battery electric (BEV) powertrains.
Shell says that until now, larger electric vehicles have mostly had to rely upon products like commercial vehicle oil that were developed for vehicles with internal combustion engines. Now, light and heavy goods vehicles and even buses can benefit from e-fluids and e-greases that have been specially developed for the specific challenges of electric drivetrains.
Commercial road transport is thought to be responsible for some 8% of the world’s CO2 emissions, so manufacturers are looking to launch BEV and FCEV vehicle solutions to help decarbonise the sector. It’s therefore important to have access to the right fluids to ensure the optimal efficiency and performance of these vehicles.
Shell’s Executive Vice President for Global Commercial, Carlos Maurer, explained the importance of this:
“Once added to the sealed environments of BEV or FCEV commercial vehicles, the fluids need to perform at optimum levels over the vehicle’s lifetime; this is why first fill is so important for electric vehicles.”
Maurer added that the low viscosity enabled by the company’s gas-to-liquid technology for base oils helped the new fluids to provide greater efficiency in vehicle drivetrains. He also said the company’s laboratories had developed the new lubricants to ensure that they meet the unique demands of electric drivetrains in areas like oxidation, thermal conductivity, temperature control and copper erosion.
