Why Thick Film Heating Technology is the Best Choice
Thick Film Heating Technology (TFH) has become the best choice for the thermal management system of electric vehicles at present, because it has achieved a comprehensive surpassing of traditional PTC heaters in five dimensions: energy efficiency, response speed, system compatibility, life and cost, and perfectly matches the technical trends of electrification and high-voltage platforms.
Performance crushing: cracking the core pain points of electric vehicles in winter
Energy efficiency revolution
95% electric heat conversion efficiency (PTC is only 70-80%), and the subsequent mileage loss is reduced by 40% after turning on the heating in winter (measured in -20℃ environment, PTC loss is 25-30%, and thick film is only 8-10%).
Reason: direct heating of resistor paste → 0 medium transfer of heat energy → ceramic-metal interface thermal resistance loss without PTC.
Millisecond response
30ms start (PTC takes 28 seconds), heating the battery from -30℃ to 15℃ within 5 minutes (preventing lithium precipitation, and improving fast charging recovery efficiency by 50%).
Reason: Micron-level circuit heat capacity is extremely small, and there is no thermal inertia hysteresis of the PTC ceramic body.
System integration advantages: lightweight + space saving
Power density 5-8W/cm³ (PTC is only 1-3W/cm³) → Volume is reduced by 60%, and can be directly embedded in liquid cooling plate or battery gap.
Flexible substrate application: It can be bent and fitted to complex curved surfaces (such as steering wheel column, curved battery pack), which cannot be achieved by PTC due to the rigidity of ceramic.
Environmental protection and regulatory adaptability
Material environmental protection:
Lead-free and cadmium-free slurry (RoHS/REACH compliant);
Carbon footprint <50kg CO₂/unit (PTC is about 80kg), meeting the EU CBAM carbon tariff exemption.
Heat pump synergy:
Under a -15℃ environment, the comprehensive COP after coupling with the heat pump reaches 2.5+ (pure PTC is only 0.8), which complies with the European ErP energy efficiency directive.
Starting from 2024, high-end models (＞$40,000) have fully switched to thick film heating, and mid-range models have transitioned through a mixed solution of "thick film battery heating + PTC cockpit assistance". With the localization of rare earth slurry (cost reduction of 30%) and the popularization of the 800V platform, the penetration rate of thick film will exceed 80% in 2027.
