MAHLE has secured its first series order for a high-performance cooling module in the megawatt charging sector. Designed for fast-charging stations for electric commercial vehicles, the module has been chosen by a European cable manufacturer and megawatt charging system (MCS) outfitter, who valued its exceptional performance and cost efficiency.
Series production is set to begin at the end of 2025 at MAHLE’s Námestovo, Slovakia plant. “This innovative cooling module expands MAHLE’s portfolio for intelligent charging solutions and sets new benchmarks in charging infrastructure for electric trucks and heavy-duty vehicles,” said Christian Kuechlin, Vice President of MAHLE Industrial Thermal Systems.
The modular design also enables its use in fast-charging systems for passenger cars, light commercial vehicles, maritime applications, and rail transport.
Megawatt charging systems (MCS) for electric commercial vehicles are mainly found at services stations on and off-motorways. Depending on the outside temperature, these charging stations generate waste heat of up to 8 kilowatts (kW), rapid-charging capacities of up to 3.75 megawatts (MW) per charging station are possible. “In our cooling module, we connect up to four heat exchangers in series to cool down the waste heat of the cable using air that is drawn in. Fans transport the air to the outside,” explained Norman Nagel, Head of Business Development MAHLE Industrial Thermal Systems. The cooling module can be adapted to the installation space of different charging stations specified by the customers and is approved for ambient temperatures of -35 to +50°C without loss of performance.
Fast charging capacities of up to 500 kW are possible for charging systems for passenger cars and light commercial vehicles. The cooling module, consisting of heat exchangers, pumps and fans, is modular in design and can also in this case be adapted to customer requirements and available installation space.
MAHLE stands for technological diversity and, in its three strategic fields of electrification, thermal management, and highly efficient sustainable combustion engines, develops the best solutions for different applications worldwide. As part of its electrification strategy, the automotive supplier focuses on developing efficient electric drives and intelligent charging systems. Thermal management, in other words the heating and cooling in a vehicle and the respective infrastructure, plays a particularly important role in this.
