The Significance of Thermal Management Systems for Electric Vehicles
Thermal management is the core guarantee for the performance, reliability, and safety of electric vehicles. The battery pack, motor, and electronic control system must operate at suitable temperatures to achieve optimal performance and delay aging. Low temperatures reduce battery charging and discharging efficiency and shorten driving range; high temperatures accelerate battery chemical aging and may even trigger thermal runaway.
For lithium-ion batteries, their electrochemical activity is highly dependent on the temperature environment, with the ideal operating range typically between 25°C and 45°C. During fast charging, the battery temperature should ideally be maintained at around 40°C to reduce internal resistance.
Therefore, an efficient and reliable battery thermal management system is the foundation for electric vehicles to achieve long lifespan, high safety, and stable performance.
The Composition and Principles of Thermal Management Systems
Modern electric vehicle thermal management systems mainly revolve around three core components: the battery, the motor, and the electronic control unit. In the field of battery thermal management, the system needs to address the complex heat dissipation and heating requirements of the vehicle under different operating conditions (such as cold starts at low temperatures, high-speed driving, and fast charging). Currently, mainstream technical solutions mainly include direct battery cooling and indirect battery cooling.
In direct battery cooling systems, the battery pack is directly cooled via the air conditioning refrigerant circuit. This design is simple, fast-responding, and suitable for applications sensitive to space and weight. In indirect battery cooling systems, the battery, motor, and electronic control system each have independent cooling circuits for temperature control, with heat exchange between these circuits achieved through heat exchangers (such as battery chillers). At low temperatures, high-pressure heaters can be used to raise the battery temperature; at high temperatures, cooling is achieved through a cooler linked to the air conditioning system. This type of system is particularly suitable for medium and large commercial vehicles such as electric trucks and electric bus BTMS, due to their high heat dissipation requirements, complex operating environments, and extremely stringent system reliability requirements.
Post time: Jan-28-2026
