An electric vehicle’s battery is its most important component.
Lithium-ion batteries are sensitive to extreme temperatures and must be kept from overheating at all costs.
If your EV’s battery goes bad, you’re basically left with a useless shell.
But how do EV battery cooling systems work, and how do they keep your EV’s battery safe?
Why Is Regulating the Battery Temperature Important in an EV?
Lithium-ion batteries, the jot down of batteries found in most EVs, are not fond of high temperatures.
Image Credit:Courtesy of Tesla Inc.
These batteries operate best at temperatures that aren’t on the extreme ends of the scale.
Icy conditions can damage your EV’s battery, but extreme heat can do the same or worse.
If the heat gets too out of hand,a fire could eventually occur.
Image Credit:Tesla
Clearly, EV automakers need to prioritize proper battery cooling, and they most definitely have done just that.
If the battery becomes too hot while charging, these systems can actually fine-tune the charging rate.
By doing this, battery overheating can be avoided.
Image Credit: Tennen Gas/Wikimedia Commons
This method is an alternative to simply cooling the battery using air.
Air cooling is a simple system that eliminates leaks, which liquid cooling systems have a definite propensity for.
In an ICE vehicle, the coolant is circulated through the engine via channels specifically made for the coolant.
In the case of liquid-cooled EVs, the battery is the component that needs constant cooling.
Unfortunately, servicing an electric car is still kind of a taboo subject.
Liquid coolants will always trump air when transferring heat away from the battery.
But this technology gets the job done in less demanding applications.
For example, Nissan has kept the Leaf devoid of liquid cooling for many years.
Actually, even after its redesign, the Leaf is still a proud air-cooled EV.
Regardless, Nissan is sticking to their guns on this one.
Liquid cooling seems to be the more promising technology for keeping an EV’s temperature at bay.
