Independent formulation R&D for the three classes of fluid the electric powertrain actually needs — e-thermal coolant for battery packs and power-electronics, low-viscosity e-axle fluid for combined motor-and-gearbox units, and polyurea-thickened dielectric grease for hub-motor and high-speed wheel bearings. Built for the Indian EV programme — FAME II, PLI, two-wheelers, three-wheelers, commercial e-LCVs and passenger e-cars.
The chemistry that makes a conventional engine oil or ATF work — sulphur-phosphorus EP additives, calcium and magnesium detergents, zinc-based anti-wear (ZDDP) — is exactly the chemistry that attacks an EV. The three fundamental differences are copper-wire corrosion, electrical conductivity, and a thermal-management duty cycle that ICE oils were never designed for.
Copper-wire corrosion. An ICE engine has no live copper in contact with the oil. An EV e-axle and a battery cooling loop run motor windings, bus-bars and connectors directly in or near the fluid path. Sulphur from EP additives and active acid species from ZDDP decomposition attack copper — and the ASTM D130 copper-strip result on a conventional ATF in an EV environment will typically degrade to a 3a or 4a rating within 100 hours of operation.
Electrical conductivity. A fluid in contact with energised windings becomes part of the electrical circuit. If its conductivity is too high it carries leakage current, generates galvanic corrosion of metallic components, accelerates bearing fluting (electrical-discharge pitting of rolling elements) and degrades the fluid itself by oxidation. Target conductivity for direct-cooled traction motors and battery immersion is below 25 pS/m (ASTM D2624). Conventional ATF measures 1,000 to 3,000 pS/m — two orders of magnitude too high.
Thermal-management duty cycle. ICE oil sees the engine block at 100 to 120°C in steady state, with the oil itself peaking around 130°C. An EV thermal fluid in a battery pack must run flat at 20 to 60°C for cell longevity, while a power-electronics inverter cold-plate runs at 70 to 90°C and a traction motor stator can spike to 150°C. The fluid must move heat without phase-changing, without foaming, and without losing dielectric integrity across that whole window.
| Property | Method | Typical Target | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical conductivity | ASTM D2624 | <25 pS/m (immersion) · <500 pS/m (e-axle) | Prevents leakage current, galvanic corrosion and bearing fluting in live-winding environments |
| Dielectric breakdown strength | IEC 60156 | >35 kV (e-thermal) · >25 kV (e-grease) | Confirms the fluid will not arc-over between energised windings or terminals |
| Copper-strip corrosion | ASTM D130 | 1a or 1b at 100°C / 3h | Verifies the additive system will not attack motor windings, bus-bars or terminals |
| Four-ball wear scar | ASTM D4172 | <0.45 mm at 40 kgf | Confirms wear protection for the reduction gear set without sulphur EP chemistry |
| Flash point (closed cup) | ASTM D92 / D93 | >200°C (e-thermal) · >220°C (e-axle) | Fire safety in the event of fluid leak onto an energised stator or cell wall |
| Pour point | ASTM D97 | <-40°C (cold-climate) · <-30°C (general) | Cold-start behaviour for Ladakh, Kashmir, GCC winter and European export markets |
| Kinematic viscosity | ASTM D445 | e-axle 3-5 cSt @ 100°C · e-thermal <18 cSt @ 40°C | Low viscosity is essential — both for fuel-economy-equivalent range and for fast heat removal |
| Foaming tendency | ASTM D892 | Seq I/II/III <50/0 ml | Foam destroys both heat-transfer efficiency and dielectric integrity |
| Oxidation stability | ASTM D2272 (RPVOT) | >300 min (synthetic) | Long change interval — EV fluid is expected to run 100,000 to 250,000 km in service |
The major additive houses — Lubrizol, Infineum, Afton, Chevron Oronite — each have an EV product line, and each line is built around the chemistry they already make at scale. That means a 2024-vintage EV pack from one supplier will excel at copper-strip but struggle at conductivity; another supplier's pack will pass conductivity but show foaming issues; a third will offer a balanced pack but at a treat cost that adds ₹40 to ₹60 per litre over a comparable ATF. None of the commercial packs is yet universally good — and none is yet cheap.
That is the wedge for an independent formulator with multi-supplier access. Instead of taking one supplier's full pack, we build a hybrid: a copper-passivator and metal-deactivator from supplier A, a foam control system from supplier B, an ash-free anti-wear from supplier C, the right base-oil-to-ester ratio for the conductivity target, and a finished package treat cost typically 15 to 30% below the equivalent commercial EV pack. That is impossible inside the structure of a contract blender tied to one additive supplier. It is the day-to-day job of an independent additive development consultant.
India's EV programme is no longer speculative. FAME II has subsidised over 1.5 million electric two- and three-wheelers. The Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for Advanced Chemistry Cell (ACC) batteries and Automobile / Auto-Components has committed roughly ₹26,000 crore of incentive across cells, packs and complete vehicles. Every major Indian OEM is now committed to an EV roadmap.
The active OEM landscape Lubechem is engaging with covers: Tata Motors (Nexon EV, Punch EV, Tiago EV, ACE EV light commercial), Mahindra & Mahindra (XUV400, BE 6 and XEV 9e on the INGLO platform), Ola Electric (S1 scooter family + Gen 3 motors), Ather Energy (450 family, Rizta), Hero MotoCorp / Hero Electric / Vida, TVS Motor (iQube), Bajaj Auto (Chetak), Ashok Leyland Switch Mobility, plus the cell ecosystem (Exide ACC plant in Bengaluru, Amara Raja, Reliance New Energy, Ola Cell). Each of these programmes is in active need of validated fluid suppliers — and at the moment, the validated supplier list is overwhelmingly imported product at imported price.
No. Conventional ATF — Dexron, Mercon, JASO 1A, any LV-spec — was designed for ICE automatic gearboxes where there is no live copper in contact with the oil. The sulphur-phosphorus EP additives and ZDDP-type anti-wear chemistry will attack the motor windings, bus-bars and connector terminations. Electrical conductivity is also typically 1,000 to 3,000 pS/m — two orders of magnitude above an EV-acceptable level.
Some development teams use a conventional ATF for initial mechanical commissioning of an e-axle and switch to an EV-specific fluid for endurance testing. That is acceptable for mechanical de-risking but the durability data from such a phase is not transferable.
The target depends on the cooling architecture. For direct-immersion battery cooling and direct-cooled traction motors (fluid in physical contact with the winding) the conductivity target is below 25 pS/m measured by ASTM D2624. For an indirect cooling loop (cold-plate, jacketed-stator) the limit is more relaxed — typically below 500 pS/m is acceptable.
An EV-grade dielectric base oil starts at 1 to 3 pS/m. Conductivity rises with additive load — every additive in the package contributes, and a poorly-chosen detergent can take the finished fluid above 1,000 pS/m. This is the single biggest reason an EV fluid cannot just be a re-labelled ATF.
For aftermarket sale through retail and distributor channels, the requirement is a BIS test-data package against the closest applicable Indian standard, a TDS and an SDS — same as any other lubricant launched in India. We prepare all three through our regulatory compliance service.
For OEM factory-fill supply (going into Tata, Mahindra, Ola, Ather, Hero, TVS etc. on the production line) the relevant OEM will run its own bench and vehicle programme. This typically takes 9 to 18 months and is the gating step into the OE supply chain.
Polyurea is preferred for EV applications. Lithium and lithium-complex thickeners are metal-soap chemistry — the soap itself is conductive and the thickener decomposition products are mildly acidic. Polyurea is ash-free, dielectric and significantly better at the 30,000+ rpm speeds that EV hub motors and high-pole-count traction motors run at.
Polyurea greases also give a higher dropping point (typically 260 to 280°C vs lithium-complex at 240 to 260°C), longer life in oxidation-stability bench tests, and a broader operating window. The cost-per-kg is higher than lithium, but on a cost-per-service-hour basis polyurea wins comfortably for EV duty.
Tell us which class of EV fluid you need (thermal, e-axle, motor grease) and where you are in your programme. We respond within one business day with an honest assessment, indicative timeline and indicative treat-cost position.