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 presents immersion cooling with next-gen wireless BMS
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.
SK presents immersion cooling with next-gen wireless BMS
Suppliers and automakers have also been experimenting with immersion cooling for about a decade, maybe more. So far it hasn’t been used in any volume vehicle, although Rimac is using it in electric supercars. And Ford is considering it in a new type of battery that could stay put for module replacement in future EVs.
Air cooling remains another option. It’s one that Mercedes considered on the way to its new CLA EV, which the automaker promises will make significant gains in efficiency. And one Nissan is still considering as it approaches solid-state battery tech.
