Williams Advanced Engineering (WAE) and Castrol, a British oil company that markets industrial and automotive lubricants, have entered into a five-year technical partnership to co-develop high-performance electric vehicle (EV) Fluids.
As part of the agreement, Castrol will become the official supplier of electric vehicle thermal fluids for WAE’s growing electrification programmes and motorsport activities such as Formula E, Extreme E, Electric Touring Car Racing (ETCR) and Le Mans Daytona Hypercar (LMDH).
Castrol will develop and supply electric car thermal fluids that are suitable for Williams Advanced Engineering’s (WAE) high-performance motorsport batteries from May 2022.
While the partnership will initially focus on Williams Advanced Engineering’s motorsport activities, the two companies will look to develop a full range of electric vehicle fluids for wider electrification projects covering the aerospace and marine sectors.
With many forms of mobility now focused on electrification, the need for advanced battery cooling systems to operate reliably and efficiently is essential.
The partnership will enable Williams Advanced Engineering to access the complete Castrol ON product line. This is a range of advanced e-fluids for improved electric vehicle performance.
Castrol’s ON range includes electric vehicle transmission fluids, thermal fluids and greases. This will allow WAE’s technical teams to access the latest developments in electric car fluids for battery cooling systems, including immersive cooling technology.
From here concepts will also be explored to improve second life performance and circularity of batteries and fluids. By jointly identifying, specifying and developing advanced fluids for specific applications, Castrol and Williams Advanced Engineering aim to create industry-leading products, optimised for each specific application.
It’s good to see oil companies like Castrol using their technology for positive applications in electric cars. Hopefully, this will produce improvements, such as increased range, at high-performance end, and ultimately, produce filter down products and technologies that will make cars more efficient on the road.
Craig Wilson, Williams Advanced Engineering CEO, said: “We are delighted to be part of this strategic partnership with Castrol which I believe will allow the development of products specifically designed to support electrification, in whatever form that takes.
“In addition to the motorsport sector, I believe advanced fluid technology will be important to a number of other key sectors.”
AS Ramchander, Castrol chief marketing officer, said: “As the world of mobility accelerates towards an electric future, it’s essential that we fully understand the requirements and challenges of electrifying all forms of mobility.
“By partnering with Williams Advanced Engineering, we hope to support the development of cutting-edge mobility solutions, as well as further advance our EV Fluid technologies.”
