Oil giant Shell's EV concept charges in under 10 minutes
What's the story
Oil giant Shell has unveiled a new electric vehicle (EV) concept, the Triple 10 Challenge. The innovative model is aimed at revolutionizing the design philosophy for future battery electric vehicles. The name of the car is derived from three main targets: achieving 10km/kWh efficiency, maintaining a lifecycle footprint of 10 tons CO2e, and enabling recharging in under 10 minutes.
Eco-friendly features
Triple 10 Challenge comes with a 'compact' battery
The Triple 10 Challenge comes with a "compact" battery that can be charged from 10% to 80% in just under 10 minutes. This is possible with a standard 175 kW DC fast charger. The car is also eco-friendly, thanks to its lightweight design, optimized battery capacity, and use of recyclable materials. Shell hopes these features will help cut lifecycle emissions by up to half compared to regular EVs in Europe.
Technical advancements
It is first road-worthy vehicle with simplified, single-circuit cooling
The Triple 10 Challenge is the first road-worthy vehicle to show the potential of a simplified, single-circuit cooling architecture for managing thermal load. This system works even in extreme fast-charging scenarios. Shell has developed a new fluid, Recharge thermal fluid, which enables direct immersion cooling of the battery and indirect cooling of powertrain components such as motor and power electronics.
Fluid innovation
New fluid has improved overall energy efficiency by over 30%
The Recharge thermal fluid has been touted as a key factor in unlocking faster charging, lighter systems, and improved lifecycle efficiency. Shell claims that the new fluid has already improved overall energy efficiency by over 30% compared to many current-generation EVs. The company also said that the battery pack cost has been reduced by around 25%, thanks to an efficient design with fewer modules and a simplified housing architecture.
Development partners
The car features digital side mirrors and flush-mounted door handles
The electric motor and drive unit of the Triple 10 Challenge were developed by Empel Systems, while RML worked on the battery and integration. The car appears to be a small five-door hatchback with an upright front fascia and an expansive light bar. It also features digital side mirrors, flush-mounted door handles, wheel disks with a 'fake' alloy design, a flowing roof, and a minimalist interior with what looks like a rotary shifter.