MAHLE and the Taiwan-based battery manufacturer ProLogium have signed a Memorandum of Understanding for developing and evaluating thermal management solutions for next generation solid-state batteries. Solid-state cells are expected to have significant advantages in the future in terms of safety and energy density, which contribute to higher driving ranges and higher safety standards for battery systems.

Both parties will cooperate focusing on tailored thermal management solutions that account for the specific properties of ProLogium’s technology. This will support competitive battery systems with high efficiency, energy density, lifetime and fast charging capability.

Thermal management is an essential component of the e-car.>

Efficient thermal management in vehicles is an essential technology field for electrification and MAHLE’s core business. When it comes to battery cooling systems, MAHLE is one of the pioneers and has been in series production for well over a decade.

MAHLE will evaluate the thermal requirements for cell, cell module, battery pack and vehicle system level to derive optimal thermal management solutions for the Prologium batteries. This covers not only competitiveness in terms of performance, efficiency and costs but explicitly addresses ageing assessments, as the battery value over lifetime is playing a critical role for mass market penetration and future second-hand market for electric vehicles.

The outcome in turn will further accelerate the development of solid-state technology and improve the properties of the cells.

Developing the very first thermal management solutions tailor-made for solid-state batteries will be a crucial step towards commercialization.

—Dr Uli Christian Blessing, Vice President Product Development Thermal Management at MAHLE