(Green Car Reports) – South Korean battery supplier SK On is looking at a different type of cooling method for electric vehicle battery packs.
Last week, SK On put the focus on immersion cooling at InterBattery 2025, a South Korean battery trade show. Instead of circulating coolant or air around battery cells and modules, this method involves immersing them in a thermal fluid, likely an oil. SK On said in a press release that it was working with SK Enmove—a fellow subsidiary of the SK Group that focuses on lubricants.
Direct contact between the fluid and battery cells can better suppress creeping temperatures, SK On said, as long as the flow can be optimized for maximum contact with cells. Immersion cooling also requires a wireless battery management system (BMS), SK On noted, because it avoids issues of a liquid flowing around connected wires.
SK On attaches a chip to each cell, which transmits information to antennas embedded within each module. This also frees up space within the pack to potentially accommodate more cells, while simplifying the overall layout, SK On claims.
General Motors was one of the first automakers to broadly adopt a wireless BMS. It has said that by optimizing for that system it can help make packs smaller and help optimize range. China’s CATL has also incorporated a wireless BMS in much of its latest or upcoming tech, and it sees the tech as a key to swift battery swapping.
