Shell (yes, the oil company) says its new tech could help recharge electric cars in under 10 minutes

Shell, an oil company famous for... oil, has developed a new bit of tech that could help electric cars charge really, really fast. Under 10 minutes fast. Welcome to the exciting world of thermal management fluids!

It’s worked with UK engineering and motorsport outfit RML Group to fill the tiny gaps, apertures and cavities in a small 34kWh battery with proprietary ‘gas-to-liquid’ thermal fluid that keeps the cells cool enough so they can cope with a super high flow of electricity.

Indeed, Shell reckons a battery with this fluid can be recharged from 10 to 80 per cent in under 10 minutes. And if this battery and special fluid combo is slotted into a “carefully designed lightweight and aerodynamic car operating with an economy of 10km/kWh”, it also reckons 24km of range can be added every minute.

Now. 10km/kWh equates to 6.2mpkWh. As far as Top Gear understands, no electric car currently on sale can achieve 6.2mpkWh. And while 2025’s EVs are aero-friendly, none are lightweight, so there’s work to be done.

Still, it’s a promising step, because fast, reliable and consistent charging is one of the keys to better EV spread – you don’t need massive range, just the ability to recharge quickly. Really fast charging heats up battery cells, so much like an ICE car’s cooling system, better fluid means the cells can cope with more ‘stress’.

“Consumers are in pursuit of better energy efficiency, longer driving range and faster charging,” said Shell’s lead engineer on the project, Robert Mainwaring. “Our ambition within this project was to show how Shell EV-Plus Thermal Fluids can support significant reductions in charging time without compromising cell integrity and lifetime.

“By embracing advanced thermal management solutions, we believe this will open the door to a new generation of more sustainable, efficient and cost-effective battery electric vehicle solutions.”