Afton launches world’s first e-transmission fluid additive

U.S. additive maker Afton Chemical announced the launch of the world’s first electrified transmission fluid (ETF) additive created for direct-cooled electric motors with multi-speed systems. HiTEC® 35701 was rolled out earlier to original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and oil marketer customers. 

Part of Afton Chemical’s eMobilty additive range, “this product is something truly new and delivers key platform technology for battery electric vehicles,” the company said.

As the electric vehicle (EV) market evolves, direct cooling concepts are becoming more popular. Current trends show there has been an increase in direct cooling and multi-speed transmissions, which has created a need for a product that is “fully future-proofed, covers all future trends and can work with different hardware architectures.”

The greater the number of demands made upon one lubricant, the more important it is to design a dedicated fluid for the application, the company added.

HiTEC® 35701 ETF additive is designed for all eAxles including wet multi-speed for use in electric vehicle drives in passenger cars and commercial vehicles. This makes it the world’s first complete eAxle additive, meeting the needs of OEMs with a range of hardware, in just one product. It balances the needs of the electric motor with friction performance to offer engineers the capability to add a shifting device for multi-speed. 

The requirements of the electric motor and the axle systems push the requirements beyond what traditional transmission fluids can offer. It meets new requirements for excellent electrical properties before and after ageing, strong copper protection in liquid and vapour phase and good oxidation prevention whilst also advancing core performance in protection of gears and bearings.