How are batteries in electric vehicles cooled? [MODEL LIST]

Since there has been a lot of talk lately about the swift entry scandal in the new Nissan Leaf, we decided to take an inventory of the Battery Temperature Management Systems (TMS) along with the cooling / heating mechanisms they use. It's him.

Table of contents

• TMS = battery cooling and heating
  • Cars with liquid-cooled batteries
    • Tesla Model S, Model X
    • Chevrolet Bolt / Opel Ampere
    • BMW i3
    • Tesla Model 3
    • Ford Focus Electric
  • Vehicles with air-cooled batteries
    • Renault Zoe
    • Hyundai Ioniq Electric
    • Kia Soul EV
    • Nissan e-NV200
  • Cars with passively cooled batteries
    • Nissan Leaf (2018) and earlier
    • VW e-Golf
    • VW e Up

This is usually referred to primarily as efficient cooling of the battery, but remember that TMS systems can also heat the battery to protect cells from freezing and temporary drop in capacity.

The systems can be divided into three parts:

• activeusing a liquid that cools and warms you cells battery (additional battery heaters are possible, see BMW i3),
• activewhich uses air that cools and warms you interior battery, but without maintenance of individual cells (additional cell heaters are possible, see: Hyundai Ioniq Electric)
• passive, with heat dissipation through the battery case.

> Rapidgate: Electric Nissan Leaf (2018) with a problem - it's better to wait with the purchase for now

Cars with liquid-cooled batteries

Tesla Model S, Model X

The 18650 cells in the Tesla S and Tesla X batteries are braided with strips through which coolant / heating fluid is pushed. The feeds touch the sides of the links. The photo of the Tesla P100D battery, made by wk057, clearly shows the wires (tubes) supplying the coolant to the ends of the tapes (orange).

Chevrolet Bolt / Opel Ampere

In Chevrolet Bolt / Opel Ampera E vehicles, cell blocks are placed between plates that have hollow channels containing coolant for the elements (see picture below). In addition, cells can be heated with resistance heaters - however, we are not sure if they are located next to the cells or if they heat the fluid circulating between the cells.

BMW i3

The battery cells in the BMW i3 are liquid-cooled. Unlike the Bolt / Volt, where the coolant is a glycol solution, BMW uses the R134a refrigerant used in air conditioning systems. In addition, the battery uses resistive heaters to heat it up in the cold, which, however, are only activated when connected to a charger.

Tesla Model 3

Cells 21, 70 in the Tesla 3 battery are cooled (and heated) using the same system as the Tesla S and Tesla X: there is a flexible strip between the cells with channels through which fluid can flow. The coolant is glycol.

The Model 3 battery does not have resistance heaters, so in the event of a large drop in temperature, the cells are heated by the heat generated by the rotating drive motor.

> Tesla Model 3 will start the engine in the parking lot if new batteries need to be heated 21 70 [PHOTOS]

Ford Focus Electric

During the launch, Ford stated that the vehicle's batteries are actively cooled with fluid. Probably, nothing has changed since then.

Vehicles with air-cooled batteries

Renault Zoe

The batteries in the Renault Zoe 22 kWh and Renault Zoe ZE 40 have air vents at the rear of the vehicle (pictured below: left). One inlet, two air outlets. The battery has its own air conditioner, which maintains the desired temperature inside the case. Cooled or heated air is blown in by a fan.

Hyundai Ioniq Electric

The Hyundai Ioniq Electric has a forced air-cooled battery. Nothing is known about a separate battery air conditioner, but it is possible. In addition, the elements have resistive heaters that heat them up in the cold.

Kia Soul EV

The Kia Soul EV has a forced air cooling system (see also: Hyundai Ioniq Electric). Air flows through two openings in the front of the case and exits the batteries through a channel in the back of the case.

Nissan e-NV200

The Nissan electric van has a forced air circulation battery that keeps the battery at the optimum temperature during operation and charging. The manufacturer has used the vehicle's air conditioning and ventilation system and the fan blows air in front of the battery where it first blows out the battery electronics / controllers. Thus, the elements are not cooled separately.

Cars with passively cooled batteries

Nissan Leaf (2018) and earlier

All indications are that the Nissan Leaf (2018) battery cells, like previous versions, are passively cooled. This means that there is no separate air conditioner or forced air circulation inside the battery, and the heat is dissipated through the case.

The battery contains resistive heaters that are activated when the temperature drops sharply while the vehicle is charging.

VW e-Golf

At the time the VW e-Golf prototype was launched, it had liquid-cooled batteries.

However, after testing, the company decided that such an advanced cooling system was unnecessary. In modern versions of the car, batteries passively radiate heat through the body.

VW e Up

See VW e-Golf.

/ if you are missing a car, let us know in the comments /

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