Thermal Management for Electric Off-Highway Vehicles

The electrification of off-highway vehicles is rapidly developing. For manufacturers, this transition requires careful consideration of how HVAC systems can adapt to the new requirements of EVs.

May 27, 2025

Adrien Touzet

The integrated thermal management system provides cooling and heating for all components required in the EV – including the battery, cabin and, if necessary, the electronics. (Eberspaecher)

The sustainability trend continues to grow in the off-highway sector. Wherever possible, manufacturers rely on electric vehicles to contribute to climate protection goals. Therefore, heating and cooling solutions need to fit these given circumstances.

Eliminating the traditional waste heat from the combustion engine requires new strategies for temperature regulation, for the cabin as well as for the battery. The aim is to efficiently control all thermally relevant areas in the vehicle.

Same design, different climate control solutions

Many manufacturers use the same vehicle architecture for both combustion and electric variants. This strategy simplifies the transition to new powertrains but places special requirements on the design. Different, powerful HVAC systems are required that can still be seamlessly integrated into the same vehicle platform.

These demands require a holistic approach to cabin thermal management. Eberspaecher’s HVAC product portfolio for electrified off-highway vehicles, which was on display at the Bauma 2025 trade show in Munich, is based on the same shape, size and mounting structure as the systems used in ICE vehicles. This consistency simplifies the integration of new drive technologies without requiring any adjustments to the vehicle structure or installation logic. This allows manufacturers to focus on innovation without having to worry about compatibility.

The Falkon EHVAC system, for example, combines an evaporator with an integrated PTC heating element, achieving a cooling capacity of up to 7.7 kW and a heating capacity of up to 6 kW. This allows the entire cabin to be air conditioned, not just a specific area. It also supports preconditioning during charging. As a result, the battery has to provide less energy for air conditioning while driving, which noticeably improves the range.

Off-highway vehicles are also used in harsh and frigid conditions, where extended heating can quickly deplete battery life. To meet this challenge, Eberspaecher offers the Falkon EHHVAC system. This variant expands the electric heating functionality with an integrated water heat exchanger. This allows existing waste heat from the powertrain to be used or, if necessary, additional heat to be supplied via the fuel-powered Hydronic water heater.

If higher energy efficiency requirements are a key priority, the Falkon Heat Pump Dualtronic is an option. The heat pump efficiently transfers heat in or out, significantly reducing power consumption and extending battery life.

Integrated thermal management

Especially in off-highway applications such as construction, agricultural or forestry machinery, temperature requirements vary. While the electric motor must be cooled and the power electronics reliably protected from overheating, the battery is particularly sensitive to temperature. The battery loses charging power in cold conditions and can be damaged in hot conditions. At the same time, the driver's cab requires comfortable temperatures in extreme ambient conditions. While the different vehicle zones have completely different temperature range requirements, they are also competing for the limited energy from the battery system.

Eberspaecher has developed the battery thermal management system (BTMS) Temptronic for controlled temperature management of the battery in electrified off-highway vehicles. It ensures that the traction battery is operated within the optimum temperature range of 20 to 40°C (68 to 104°F), regardless of external climatic conditions. To achieve this, the BTMS combines advanced cooling, insulation and control sensors that continuously monitor thermal states and dynamically adjust system behavior. Integration into vehicle architectures is facilitated through advanced CAN communication interfaces, which enable control within the vehicle’s broader system network.

In addition to the standard BTMS, Eberspaecher engineers also developed an integrated thermal management system. The system acts as a central thermal management group, providing cooling and heating for all components required in the EV, including the battery, cabin and, if necessary, the electronics. It uses energy transfer between components to improve energy savings and overall efficiency.

The cabin air conditioning is also integrated into the thermal management system. For extremely cold conditions, the system can be supplemented with a high-voltage electric water heater such as the Titronic with PTC technology. With their inherent self-regulating effect, these high-power PTC constituents protect against overheating, enabling quick and safe heating.

Adrien Touzet is sales team manager for off-road and non-automotive, Eberspaecher Kalori SAS, in Pusignan, France. He wrote this article for SAE Media.