Pre-2018 — EVs Primarily Use Exisiting Fluids
What happened
Early battery electric and hybrid vehicles generally relied on lubricants and fluids derived from technologies already established for conventional vehicles. Dedicated fluids existed for some applications, but the market was small and vehicle architectures varied considerably.
Technical context
Formulators and OEMs adapted existing engine oils, transmission fluids, greases and coolants where their performance was adequate. At the same time, electrification was already creating new requirements around electric motor speed, heat removal, material compatibility and electrical properties.
Fuchs, for example, was already researching higher-speed electric drivetrains by 2018 through its Speed4E project, which targeted electric motor speeds of up to 50,000 rpm and investigated fluids capable of cooling both the electric motor and power electronics.
Why it mattered
This period established the technical baseline for e-mobility lubrication. It also demonstrated that electrification would require more than simply transferring conventional transmission and engine lubricant technology into electric vehicles.
2018–2020 — E-Drivetrain Lubrication Emerges as a Distinct Development Area
What happened
Lubricant suppliers and automotive researchers increasingly began developing fluids specifically for electric motors, e-axles and hybrid transmissions.
Technical context
Electric drive units introduced combinations of high rotational speeds, high torque, compact gearsets and concentrated heat loads. In some designs, the lubricant also comes into direct contact with copper windings and electrical components.
Fuchs’ e-mobility portfolio developed during this period included dedicated e-drive fluids, hybrid transmission fluids and electric-motor greases. Its 2020 e-mobility material already distinguished between conventional drivetrains, different hybrid architectures and BEV applications.
Why it mattered
The industry began moving from adapting existing fluids toward designing products around specific electrified architectures.
2020–2022 — E-Axle Fluids Become a Major Development Focus
What happened
Integrated e-axles became an increasingly important target for lubricant development as automakers combined electric motors, reduction gears and power electronics into compact units.
Technical context
E-axle fluids must control friction and wear while removing heat from gears and bearings. In wet-motor designs, the fluid can also cool the electric motor and come into contact with copper windings and their coatings.
Higher motor speeds increase churning losses and thermal loads, creating pressure for lower-viscosity fluids that can still provide adequate wear protection and material compatibility. Fuchs now distinguishes between fluids for dry and wet e-axles, reflecting these different requirements.
Why it mattered
The e-drive fluid became a specialised product category rather than simply a modified transmission oil.
2021–2023 — Electrical Compatibility and Copper Protection Move Up the Agenda
What happened
Research and product development increasingly focused on the interaction between lubricants and electrically active components.
Technical context
Electric drive units can expose fluids to electric fields, high voltages and copper windings. Formulators therefore have to consider electrical resistivity, dielectric behaviour, conductive deposits, copper corrosion and the effects of fluid aging.
The industry also began developing testing specifically for these conditions. ASTM D8544 addresses conductive deposits produced by fluids in electrically charged systems and can be used to assess fluids intended for EV drivelines.
Why it mattered
Electrical behaviour became a core formulation consideration alongside traditional lubrication properties such as viscosity, wear protection and oxidation stability.
2022–2024 — EV Fluids Expand Beyond Transmission Lubricants
What happened
The definition of an EV fluid broadened considerably. Development increasingly covered motor and e-axle fluids, greases, compressor oils, battery coolants, power-electronics coolants and other thermal-management fluids.
Technical context
Electric vehicles concentrate more attention on heat management because batteries, electric motors and power electronics all generate heat while operating within relatively narrow temperature ranges.
Fuchs’ current e-mobility portfolio reflects this expansion, covering e-drive oils, motor-bearing greases, battery coolants, corrosion protection, contact greases and heat-pump compressor oils.
Why it mattered
The commercial opportunity for lubricant suppliers increasingly extended beyond replacing engine oil volumes. Electrification created new fluid applications across the vehicle.
2024 — EV Coolant Standards Begin to Formalize
What happened
Standards development began catching up with the growing number of dedicated EV fluid applications.
Technical context
ASTM D8566-24 established a specification for glycol-based EV coolants with low electrical conductivity. The standard covers fluids intended for BEVs, fuel-cell vehicles, PHEVs and HEVs where low electrical conductivity is required.
ASTM also published D8544 for assessing conductive deposits associated with fluids in electrically charged systems, providing another tool for evaluating EV driveline fluids.
Why it mattered
The emergence of dedicated standards gives OEMs and fluid suppliers a more structured framework for evaluating electrical and thermal performance.
2024–2025 — Thermal Management Becomes a Major Innovation Area
What happened
Development increasingly moved beyond conventional cooling systems toward direct and immersion cooling concepts.
Technical context
Battery charging speeds and energy densities are increasing the amount of heat that vehicle thermal-management systems must remove. Dielectric fluids offer the possibility of placing coolant directly in contact with battery cells or other electrical components.
Shell has developed EV thermal fluids for battery immersion cooling and reported successful testing of a single-fluid system capable of cooling the battery, electric motor and power electronics in a BEV powertrain. Shell reported in 2025 that its EV-Plus Thermal Fluid enabled testing of charging from 10% to 80% in under 10 minutes in an immersion-cooled battery system. These are company-reported results rather than an industry-wide benchmark.
Why it mattered
Thermal-management fluids are emerging as a potentially significant new business for lubricant and specialty-fluid suppliers, particularly as charging speed becomes a competitive differentiator.
2025–2026 — Application-Specific Fluids Become More Established
What is happening now
The market is moving toward increasingly specialised fluids for particular electric and hybrid architectures rather than a single generic “EV lubricant.”
Technical context
The required fluid depends on motor design, motor speed, gear configuration, cooling strategy, electrical exposure, materials and OEM performance requirements. A wet e-axle with direct motor cooling can require a substantially different fluid from a dry e-axle where the lubricant is confined largely to the gears and bearings.
At the same time, suppliers continue to test whether existing high-performance fluids can meet new requirements. Fuchs explicitly notes that customers remain interested in using established products in electrified systems where testing demonstrates that they are suitable.
Why it mattered
The EV lubricant market is becoming less about replacing conventional fluids with universally “EV-specific” products and more about engineering fluids around individual vehicle architectures.
2025–2026 — Hybrid Fluids Gain Strategic Importance
What is happening now
The slower-than-expected transition to battery electric vehicles in some major markets is increasing attention on hybrids and plug-in hybrids. This is extending the relevance of engine oils while creating additional demands on them.
Technical context
Hybrid engines can experience frequent starts and stops, lower average operating temperatures and periods of inactivity. These conditions can increase the importance of low-temperature performance, oxidation control, fuel dilution and water management.
At the same time, hybrid transmissions can incorporate electric motors directly into the transmission system, creating some of the same electrical, thermal and material-compatibility challenges seen in BEVs.
Why it mattered
The lubricant market is likely to remain a mixed environment for years. Engine oils will continue to serve a large hybrid and ICE fleet while e-drive fluids, hybrid transmission fluids and thermal-management products grow alongside electrification.
Ongoing — Testing Becomes More Specialized
What is happening now
Testing is becoming increasingly tailored to electrified powertrains.
Technical context
Traditional lubricant tests remain important for viscosity, oxidation, wear and corrosion. EV applications add requirements around electrical properties, conductive deposits, copper compatibility, thermal performance and interactions with polymers, coatings and insulation materials.
ASTM D8566 and D8544 are examples of standards developed specifically around EV-related fluid requirements. Other testing remains OEM-specific, particularly for e-axle fluids where vehicle architecture can vary substantially.
Why it matters
The development of EV fluids is increasingly tied to the complete powertrain rather than the lubricant in isolation. As motors become faster, power densities rise and thermal loads increase, lubricant formulation, component design and testing are becoming increasingly interconnected.