Fast, Cool, and Game-Changing: Why Shell’s New Battery Fluid Is a Major Leap for the EV Industry
When we talk about the future of electric vehicles, two questions always dominate:
• How long will it take to charge?
• How far can I go on a single charge?
Thanks to a groundbreaking development from Shell Lubricants, the answers to both may soon be a lot faster and a lot farther. And for the entire EV industry, especially fleet operators balancing uptime, reliability, and cost, this is a massive deal.
Shell has just unveiled a new battery thermal management fluid that slashes charging times to under 10 minutes. Working with UK-based automotive innovators RML Group, they’ve demonstrated a 34kWh battery pack using the new EV-Plus Thermal Fluid that can charge from 10% to 80% in under 10 minutes, without compromising battery health or safety.
Let’s break down why this announcement is such a big moment:
Revolutionary Charging Speeds
Most EVs today deliver around 3.1 miles of range per minute of charging. With this new system, Shell is delivering up to 14.9 miles per minute. That’s nearly a 5X improvement, putting charging times on par with traditional petrol station refuels. For commercial fleets, public transport depots, and logistics hubs, that’s a serious upgrade in operational efficiency.
Intelligent Heat Management = Higher Currents, Safer Charging
The magic lies in how Shell manages heat. The EV-Plus fluid, based on Shell’s Gas-to-Liquid (GTL) technology, flows around every battery cell. It’s electrically non-conductive and fills the gaps between cells, enabling even heat distribution and reducing thermal stress.
That means:
Safer, faster charging
Lower risk of thermal runaway
Longer battery lifespan
Smaller, lighter, cheaper battery designs in future
What This Means for Fleets
At ZeroMission, we work with mixed-fuel fleets transitioning to electric, hydrogen, and beyond. Our FleetOps360 platform gives operators real-time visibility into vehicle health, charging behaviour, and uptime optimisation.
This kind of tech breakthrough from Shell is a perfect example of how hardware innovation and software intelligence go hand-in-hand.
When battery technology allows for:
• Faster depot turnaround
• Lighter vehicles
• Safer charging
• Lower TCO
…it’s a win across the board.
The Bigger Picture: Enabling the EV Ecosystem
This isn't just about one fluid or one battery pack, it’s about confidence. It’s about showing that the EV ecosystem is maturing fast, solving real barriers, and moving closer to true mainstream adoption.
As Shell’s lead engineer Robert Mainwaring put it:
“Drivers want faster charging and longer range without compromising battery life. This project demonstrates that our EV-Plus Thermal Fluids can enable that balance.”
At ZeroMission, we couldn’t agree more.
This is the kind of breakthrough that moves the whole industry forward—and we’re ready to help fleet operators make the most of it with the right data, insights, and operational tools.
Want to see how smarter charging and thermal insights can transform your depot operations?
