Developers of electric vehicles are increasingly focusing on improving the safety of traction batteries. They can be made safer by managing thermal events more effectively than has been the case in the past. As a result, coordinated, integrated thermal management strategies are needed that allow the integrity of battery systems to be guaranteed. Another important consideration is improving the cooling efficiency of critical components such as busbars, which are essential for transmitting electrical energy in battery systems. One potential solution is immersive cooling technology.

Key criteria for electric vehicles include a long range and a short charging cycle, which in turn require batteries with a high energy density and tightly packed high-performance cells. One risk involved in cells of this kind is thermal runaway. This is a self-heating reaction of the battery cells where the critical amount of heat that is generated is transferred to neighboring cells. Without a safety concept, this chain reaction can also lead to hot gas flows and arcing. One effective technical solution for this problem is provided by thermal insulation systems made from a combination of heat-resistant materials.

Thermal management is a key means of improving the performance of electric vehicles and, at the same time, reducing their cost. For this reason, the temperature regulation of batteries and improvements in the efficiency of coolant pumps are becoming increasingly important considerations. Depending on the vehicle architecture, different types of systems are used, but the complexity of thermal management in electric vehicles requires an integrated approach that in some respects is also completely new.