Thermal Interface Solutions Market for EV Battery - Forecasts from 2024 to 2029

The global thermal interface solutions market for EV batteries is anticipated to grow at a CAGR of 12.65% during the forecast period (2024-2029).

The electric car industry is expanding, and battery temperature management has emerged as a critical issue that must be addressed. Heat is generated within the battery pack while the battery is charged and discharged. Keeping the battery pack at a normal temperature can significantly increase its performance. This incorporates two key concerns: operating efficiency and charging speed.

Interface materials remove excess heat from battery pack cells, which regulates battery temperature, improves battery functioning, and extends battery life. These thermally conductive gap fillers that can be tailored to each application act as heat sinks to conduct heat away from the battery. Since hardness, surface tack, and liner are suitable for various applications, several companies offer product lines and solutions to provide the ideal thermal interface solutions for EV battery modules. Precision die-cut thermal interface materials can also assist in regulating and guiding heat movement between and out of EV battery components.

Many manufacturers, including Tesla, BYD, and Volkswagen, have declared their aim to transition away from many modules in a pack and towards cell-to-pack choices. This eliminates or decreases the requirement for several of the materials found in battery packs, including module housings, coolant lines, and module interconnects. While numerous components may be deleted, thermal interface materials (TIMs) remain necessary because transporting heat from the cells to the thermal management system is always required in some manner. Even if the amount of TIM per vehicle decreases, the overall emphasis on thermal management and the rapidly rising EV industry will boost demand for TIMs, resulting in one of the greatest prospective markets.

GLOBAL THERMAL INTERFACE SOLUTIONS MARKET FOR EV BATTERY DRIVERS:

• Thermal Interface Solutions for EV batteries product development improves heat management, battery longevity, and durability. Hence, various configurations of batteries in EVs are managed by specific systems, making them efficient in integration. They also improve safety features such as fire resistance and prevention of thermal runaway, which are significant for EVs. For instance, ThermaCool TC2006, offered by Saint-Gobain Tape Solutions, is a low-cost, soft ceramic-filled silicone elastomer that normally comes with a PET release liner on both sides. The substance is innately sticky and performs well in compression throughout a wide range of stack-up tolerances with little force applied to components.

Besides this, Loctite TLB 9300 APSi is a two-component polyurethane thermally conductive adhesive with a high thermal conductivity of 3 W/mK, moderate viscosity, and self-leveling properties offered by Henkel. It is ideal for gluing battery cells to modules or directly to cooling systems. Apart from the heat dissipation characteristic, it provides fine electrical insulation and adhesion to several substrates. Since it is a green solution that cures at room temperature and does not require energy, it helps the clients achieve their sustainable development goal of low emissions, high efficiency, and enhanced workspace safety.

Additionally, DuPont offers BETATECH TIM, a 1K or 2K solvent-based thermal-conductive polyurethane material to be applied between the battery module and the heatsink. The product offers one package solution for the following sectors: vehicle electrification, driverless cars, connectivity, and mobility architecture. Altogether, these developments contribute to increased usability and raise the bar in the context of the batteries of electric vehicles.

• Currently, EVBs only use Lithium-ion batteries, and this trend is projected to continue. Additionally, issues concerning the life cycle management of such systems that include repair, reuse, recycling, and disposal are considered by manufacturers while developing and deploying battery systems like LIBs. Following this, with the increasing demand for batteries being exponential, the use of thermal interface solutions for EV batteries will also increase. The IEA estimates that auto Li-ion use has increased by almost 65% to 550 MWH in 2022 because of the increased sales of electric passenger vehicles in 2022.

Along with this, the battery demand for cars expanded by over 70% in China, and electric car sales increased by 80 % from 2022 to 2021. However, the battery demand rise was partially compensated by a greater share of PHEVs. Battery consumption for automobiles in the United States rose by nearly 80% in 2022, when electric car sales only managed a rise of nearly 55%. The global sales of BEV and PHEV are overtaking HEV, and because of this, the battery capabilities of BEV and PHEV are increasing, which in turn fuels the battery requirement.

GLOBAL THERMAL INTERFACE SOLUTIONS MARKET FOR EV BATTERY SEGMENT ANALYSIS:

Based on vehicle type, commercial vehicles are one of the fastest-growing segments.

Commercial vehicles are among the most rapidly developing categories in the thermal interface solutions market for EV batteries. This expansion is driven by increased global use of electric buses, lorries, and delivery vehicles. The government approved Phase II of the FAME India Scheme for five years, beginning April 1, 2019, and ending March 31, 2024, with a total budgetary contribution of INR 10,000 crore, as stated by the PIB. This phase focuses on promoting public and shared transport electrification by offering incentives for acquiring electric vehicles (2-wheelers, 3-wheelers, 4-wheelers, and electric buses).

In addition to this, as per the International Energy Agency, in 2022, almost 66,000 electric buses and 60,000 medium- and heavy-duty trucks were sold globally, accounting for around 4.5% of total bus sales and 1.2% of total truck sales. China continues to dominate the manufacture and sales of electric (and fuel cell) trucks and buses. In 2022, 54,000 new electric buses and 52,000 electric medium- and heavy-duty trucks were sold in China, accounting for 18% and 4% of overall sales and about 80% and 85% of global sales, respectively. Additionally, it was stated that Chinese brands are market leaders in Latin America, North America, and Europe's bus and truck markets.

As a consequence of the expansion, the commercial electric vehicle industry demands advanced heat management technologies in the shape of thermal conductive layers to properly address heat from the bigger batteries. These solutions are rather essential for increasing productivity, ensuring quality, and adherence to industry standards regarding safety. This development suggests that there could be huge opportunities for those companies that deal in thermal interface materials, which are most suitable for commercial EVs.

Asia Pacific's Thermal interface solutions market for EV batteries is anticipated to grow significantly.

Most of the electric car markets, like China and India in the Asia-Pacific region, are expected to boost the thermal interface solutions demand in the future. Policies on renewable energy, especially on sustainable energy, and the impressive technological innovations in thermal management are being propelled by incentives from the government. Along with this, investment in EV battery production has remarkably influenced growth aspects. For instance, in the case of its wholly owned electric vehicle subsidiary GFCL EV Products Ltd has planned to invest INR 6000 Crores over the next 4-5 years from February 2024. This would enable the production of battery systems for electric vehicles and energy storage systems to about 200 GWh annually.

Nonetheless, as per the IEA, about 95% of the lithium-ion phosphate batteries for electric LDVs (Light-Duty Vehicles) were sourced from China, and BYD holds the largest market share of 50%. Tesla contributed 15%, with its proportion of LFP batteries rising from 20% in 2021 to 30% in 2022. Thus, about 85% of cars equipped with LFP batteries are Tesla cars, most of which were produced in China. This has further proven that efforts to increase battery performance and safety by dissipating heat can bring innovation and investment to the industry. Comprehensively, several factors in Asia Pacific raise the demand for thermal interface technology development, such as environmental issues and the construction of the related electric car infrastructure.

Global Thermal Interface Solutions Market for EV Battery Key Developments:

• In May 2023, Henkel expanded its EV battery system solution offering with a novel injectable thermally conductive glue. The new adhesive, Loctite TLB 9300 APSi, offers structural bonding and thermal conductivity in the battery system.
• In September 2021, Renault selected DuPont's BETATECH thermal interface material (TIM) for its production sites in Maubeuge and Douai, northern France. The delivery of BETATECH TIM for EV manufacturing began in early 2021. BETATECH TIM effectively manages heat from high-density batteries during EV charging and operation.

The global thermal interface solutions market for EV batteries is segmented and analyzed as follows:

By Vehicle Type

• Passenger Car
• Commercial Vehicle

By Geography

• North America
• United States
• Canada
• Mexico
• South America
• Brazil
• Argentina
• Rest of South America
• Europe
• United Kingdom
• Germany
• France
• Italy
• Spain
• Rest of Europe
• Middle East and Africa
• Saudi Arabia
• United Arab Emirates
• Rest of Middle East and Africa
• Asia-Pacific
• China
• India
• Japan
• South Korea
• Taiwan
• Thailand
• Indonesia
• Rest of Asia-Pacific