Your future EV may need…ATF

[Skookum]

Interesting article on the case for smaller, oil-cooled electric motors.

Also, worth mentioning regarding efficiency. Gasoline engines may be anywhere from 20-50% efficient. Electric motors can be over 90% efficient. This is part of the reason EV’s are the future.

How Oil Cooling Can Make EVs Even More Efficient

Water and motors aren't a good combination, so manufacturers have to be more creative in cooling electric powertrains.

www.thedrive.com

 

[DonTom]

Interesting article on the case for smaller, oil-cooled electric motors.

Also, worth mentioning regarding efficiency. Gasoline engines may be anywhere from 20-50% efficient. Electric motors can be over 90% efficient. This is part of the reason EV’s are the future.

How Oil Cooling Can Make EVs Even More Efficient

Water and motors aren't a good combination, so manufacturers have to be more creative in cooling electric powertrains.

www.thedrive.com

My Energica motorcycles use ATF for motor cooling and coolant for inverter cooling. Those are very high-performance machines, scary fast. But high maintenance for an electric.

Zero motorcycles use no oils, no cooling of any type. Very low maintenance. And still scary fast, but not nearly as fast as Energicas.

But in the Energicas, the ATF lasts a long time after the first change. 600 miles for the first, 15,000 miles thereafter.

-Don- Reno, NV

 

[Mark_K5LXP]

The batteries and electronics already have thermal management, why not the motor. If it makes the overall driveline smaller/better/cheaper/lighter then it's a slam dunk. For the "purists" that might reject the notion of fossil lubricants then they might review what goes into making tires, plastics and turning ore to metal.

Mark B.
Albuquerque, NM

 

[Skookum]

No issue here with using petroleum as lubricants or coolants in an EV. Petrochemicals are still very much needed even in a mostly EV world on the streets. Burning petrochemicals and only getting at best $0.50 on the dollar going to actual propulsion is irksome, though!

 

[CharlesinGA]

Deutz, noted for their air cooled diesels, also makes oil cooled diesels.

At work, our Wollard lift trucks were powered by them. I think the belt loaders were, also.

Charles