Stellantis and chemical firms develop new EV battery safety technologies

Automotive and chemical companies are developing new technologies to address thermal management and safety risks in electric vehicle (EV) batteries.

Stellantis, via FCA US, has filed a patent with the USPTO for a system that allows an electric vehicle to physically detach a malfunctioning or overheating battery pack. The system, which could be activated manually by a driver or emergency responders via a button, uses mechanisms such as sliding chassis sections or pyrotechnic charges to quickly separate the battery from the vehicle frame to prevent fire spread.

Simultaneously, the industry is shifting toward cell-to-pack architectures to save weight and space, which complicates heat dissipation. To combat this, companies like Henkel and Wacker are developing advanced thermal interface materials. These include thermally conductive adhesives and gap fillers designed to transfer heat more efficiently from cells to cooling plates, reducing the risk of thermal runaway in more densely packed battery designs.