Lubrication in EVs

FUCHS
Electric cars – new technology calls for new lubrication

Altered behaviors
a look at vehicle statistics shows that China, the USA and Japan are the biggest markets for
plug-in hybrids and completely electric cars. In 2016, the number of such cars in the world was
estimated at just over 2 million. Growth was 60% and the highest increase was in China, which
accounted for 40% of sales. Despite this, electric cars account for just 0.2% of the worldwide
fleet of light vehicles. Norway is an exception and is often referred to as the primary electric car
nation, mainly due to the preferential subsidies. In 2016, electric cars had a market share of
29% in Norway. The Netherlands was in second place with just over 6%, followed by Sweden
with a market share for electric cars of around 3.5% in 2016.
New technology – new lubrication (HYBRID CARS)
Hybrid cars still have a small combustion engine that extends the vehicle’s range, as well as a
partially electric drivetrain.
The combustion engine in a hybrid car will still need lubrication. This engine will have a smaller
displacement since it also has an electric motor, and will not need to produce all the power as in
a conventional vehicle.
“With a smaller displacement, requirements for heat and ageing stability will increase. This is
because more compact engines are also more encapsulated which stresses the engine oil
further,” says Garb.
In smaller engines with high power, a turbocharger is often used today. This increases the need
for protection against deposits and places very high demands on the oil.
Whole new demands (EVs)
“As the future entails more completely electric vehicles, the development of engine oil must
continue.
When the development of completely electric vehicles intensifies, other product groups will also
be affected. Whole new demands will be placed on gear oils, coolants and greases, partly
because they will be in contact with electric modules, sensors and circuits, and will be affected
by electrical current and electromagnetic fields.
“The lubricants must be compatible with everything from copper wires and electric modules to
special plastics and insulation materials. This means they will have to be more specialized to
cope with lubrication in these environments,” Garb continues.
Moreover, motors in electric cars also emit a lot of heat, which will need to be led away from the
electric module. Here, effective cooling concepts will be increasingly important. It is also likely
that the electric motors will be driven at higher and higher speeds in order to increase efficiency.
Already brand new motors are being designed, and different lubrication and cooling concepts
are being discussed. With high-speed electric motors, the RPM in the drivetrain will need to
decrease. New reduction gears with less gear steps are therefore being implemented, with
potentially higher input speeds.
Since the reduction gears can be combined with electric modules, their gear oils too must work
well with the chosen module materials. This transition is a major challenge for developers of
lubricants, since it entails a considerable change in lubricant specifications.
TOTAL-
Lubricating electric vehicles
Electric vehicles need lubricants that can meet the specific requirements of their
powertrains. By launching a dedicated range, Total is again pioneering and cementing its
ambition to be a leader in electric mobility.
Electric cars reshuffle the deck in the automotive market
Passenger car electrification is here to stay. By the 2040s-2050s, the propulsion systems —
from all-electric to hybrid — used by vehicles on the road worldwide will be totally different.
Four key factors are driving the change:
 Cheaper batteries, whose price is expected to drop another 67 percent by 2030[1], cutting
the cost of a battery pack kilowatt-hour to $100 from $209 at the end of 2017.
 An increasing number of policy decisions to banish internal combustion engines (ICE)
from cities, especially in China, for public health reasons.
 Automakers, all of which are planning to halt technological development of internal
combustion engines.
 Electric cars that already offer the full range of comfort, convenience, enjoyment and
modularity, while alleviating anxiety about running out of power thanks to more efficient
batteries.
Lubricants designed for EVs
Lubricating an internal combustion engine is very different from the same job for an EV motor.
The former needs both oil to minimize engine friction and transmission fluid. These products are
different. Engine oils in particular degrade over their lifetime as combustion gases contaminate
them, meaning they have to be replaced regularly.
Electric vehicles experience significant fluctuations in power flows and high motor speeds of up
to 15,000 revolutions a minute. They can require several fluids: oil for the gear reducer, which is
the EV's transmission, and an oil specifically for the electric motor if the automaker is trying to
improve cooling. Thermal management fluids for the battery and power electronics will be
coming in the near future to support fast charging and strong acceleration in order to increase
range and ensure safety.
"These fluids, which are exposed to high voltages, have very specific properties," says François
Bénard, prospective & innovation manager at Total Lubricants. "They're subjected to high
temperatures and must protect key components, such as coils, from corrosion while preventing
short circuits. The vehicle's lifetime and safety depend on it."

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Electric cars – new technology calls for new lubrication

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