In an interview with TimesTech, Dr. Vaibhav Deshmukh, Associate Professor at MIT World Peace University, explains the technical causes behind India’s rising EV battery fire incidents and how his patented passive cooling innovation aims to address them. He highlights how nanofluids, heat pipes, and advanced thermal interfaces work together to reduce overheating, prevent thermal runaway, and improve battery stability, making the technology ideal for India’s extreme temperatures and demanding road conditions.
Read the full interview here:
TimesTech: India has reported a noticeable spike in EV fire incidents, especially due to battery explosions and thermal runaway. From your research perspective, what are the primary technical reasons EV batteries overheat in Indian operating conditions?
Dr. Vaibhav: EV batteries in India tend to overheat mainly because the operating environment is far harsher than what most battery systems are originally designed for. High ambient temperatures, often crossing 40°C in many regions, significantly reduce the battery’s natural ability to release heat. When vehicles remain parked in direct sunlight for long hours, heat builds up inside battery packs even before the vehicle is driven. Once on the road, frequent traffic congestion, poor road conditions, and repeated braking and acceleration cycles place continuous load on the battery, generating even more heat internally. Fast charging, which is increasingly popular, further accelerates temperature rise due to high current flow within compact battery cells. Another major factor is the limited space available in many two-wheelers and compact electric vehicles, which restricts airflow and heat dissipation. In addition, variations in manufacturing quality, inconsistent thermal management systems across OEMs, and degraded batteries over time worsen the situation. When these stress factors combine—high temperature, high load, and limited cooling—the battery becomes vulnerable to overheating, and in extreme situations, this can trigger dangerous chain reactions leading to fires or thermal runaway incidents.
TimesTech: Your patented solution uses a hybrid passive cooling approach combining nanofluids, heat pipes, and an advanced thermal interface. Can you break down how each of these components works and how they collectively improve thermal management during high-load or fast-charging scenarios?
Dr. Vaibhav: The hybrid passive cooling system works by managing heat at the source and relocating it before it reaches dangerous levels. It uses a specially formulated cooling fluid that can absorb heat more efficiently than conventional liquids. When a battery cell begins to heat up, this fluid reacts quickly by absorbing excess thermal energy and dispersing it across a wider area. Supporting this process are heat pipes, which function like thermal highways within the battery pack. They capture accumulated heat from hotspots and move it toward cooler regions where it can be released safely. The third element is an advanced thermal interface structure that keeps these components in direct contact with problem areas in the battery pack, ensuring rapid heat extraction. Together, the system does not rely on pumps, fans, or electrical power to function. Instead, it uses natural heat movement to stay active at all times. This makes the solution highly efficient during fast charging and heavy usage because heat is continuously relocated and neutralized rather than allowed to build up in critical areas. The combined result is significantly lower battery temperatures and a more stable operating environment for the cells.
TimesTech: How does this cooling technology specifically reduce the risk of thermal runaway, which has been a major cause of recent EV fire incidents in Karnataka and across India?
Dr. Vaibhav: Thermal runaway—which is the main cause of EV fires—usually begins when a single battery cell becomes too hot and transfers heat to nearby cells, creating a chain reaction. This cooling system reduces that risk by preventing heat from getting trapped inside any one area of the battery pack. By lowering peak temperatures and keeping the temperature uniform across the battery, it greatly reduces the chance of individual cells entering failure mode. The technology is particularly well suited to Indian conditions because it does not depend on external airflow or cool climates to work effectively. Even when the outside temperature is extremely high, the internal cooling system continues to draw heat away from critical areas. Its compact layout makes it ideal for two-wheelers and small EVs where space is limited, and its lack of moving parts makes it more reliable over rough roads and long usage cycles. Since the system operates passively, it also avoids electrical failure risks associated with pumps and fans. Overall, by stabilizing battery performance even in extreme heat and intense driving conditions, the technology directly lowers the likelihood of battery failure and fire-related incidents in real Indian operating environments.
TimesTech: Given India’s high ambient temperatures and diverse road conditions, what specific adaptations make this thermal cooling system better suited for Indian EVs compared to conventional cooling solutions used globally?
Dr. Vaibhav: This cooling system is considered industry-ready because it is built around existing manufacturing technologies that can be adapted without completely redesigning vehicle architecture. Components like heat pipes and sealed cooling channels are already widely used in electronics and industrial applications, making large-scale production feasible. The design is modular, meaning manufacturers can integrate it into current battery pack formats with minimal changes. Unlike large liquid-cooling setups, this system does not require additional mechanical parts such as pumps or radiators, which makes it easier and cheaper to deploy. From an industry perspective, it offers value not only in safety but also in battery life extension, which reduces long-term warranty and replacement costs. For manufacturers, integration would typically begin with thermal mapping of the battery pack, followed by customized placement of cooling components. Once that is done, prototypes can be tested under high-temperature and fast-charging conditions before production scaling begins. Because the system is passive, maintenance requirements are minimal, making it attractive for mass adoption. In short, it offers a practical balance between performance improvement, cost containment, and manufacturing simplicity.
TimesTech: You are currently in discussions for collaborations and pilot testing. What types of industry partners are you seeking, and what milestones do you anticipate in the next 12–18 months for real-world deployment?
Dr. Vaibhav: The research team is currently seeking partnerships with electric vehicle manufacturers, battery pack designers, and automotive suppliers who are focused on improving safety and performance. There is also strong interest in collaborating with fleet operators, particularly in delivery and shared mobility sectors, where vehicles face heavy daily usage and frequent charging cycles. These real-world environments offer valuable feedback on system reliability and thermal performance. In the near term, the focus is on laboratory validation followed by pilot-scale trials in select vehicles. Over the next 12 months, the goal is to complete extended performance testing and safety certification aligned with Indian climate conditions. Field trials will then validate how the technology performs across different driving conditions and regions. By the 18-month mark, the aim is to move toward limited commercial adoption, starting with two-wheelers and compact EVs where thermal failures are currently most common. Parallel to this, the team is working on refining manufacturing methods and strengthening supply chains for cooling materials. The ultimate objective is to ensure the technology is deployment-ready, affordable, and scalable for India’s rapidly growing EV ecosystem.
