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API reveals future direction and speed of engine oil specification developments
With a recent increase in activity on the North American passenger car and heavy-duty lubricant specifications front, there is some uncertainty in the air about their timings and just what shape the future specifications might take. In November, Infineum Industry Liaison Advisors, Andrew Ritchie and David Brass, talked to API’s EOLCS Program Manager, Jeff Harmening, about the changes he expects to see, the timings he anticipates for them and the challenges that might lie ahead for an already stretched industry.
The North American industry lubricant specifications, API CK-4 and FA-4 introduced in 2016 for heavy-duty vehicles and ILSAC GF-6A, GF-6B and API SP introduced in 2020 for passenger cars, ensure engine oils offer sufficient protection to the latest hardware. However, hardware changes needed to meet the latest emissions regulations combined with the desire to move to lower viscosity oils for fuel economy improvement are driving industry interest to update both sets of specifications. These updates, although requiring a significant investment of time and money, will not only ensure that continued protection is delivered to the latest vehicles but also that engine tests remain available and relevant.
Starting with passenger car oils, we asked API’s Jeff Harmening to talk about the introduction of ILSAC GF-6/API SP products and how the new API ‘Shield’ symbol for the lower viscosity ILSAC GF-6B category was received.
Jeff Harmening, API EOLCS Program Manager
The industry had plenty of time to prepare. API, for instance, allowed marketers to begin submitting their products several months earlier before first licencing began so they could hit the ground running on the first licencing date of May 1st 2020. OEMs continue today to recommend ILSAC GF-6 in their vehicles, and we've now licenced over 5,000 products around the globe, which meet GF-6 performance oils. The system continues to work as intended and the benefits of higher performance oils are being realised in ever expanding global footprint
To date we've licensed over 300 products around the world to use the API shield, and these are from marketers in 20 different countries. Considering that there are far fewer engines in today's car park requiring these low viscosity grade engine oils, it is encouraging to see this adoption pick up over time.
According to Jeff, the plans to move forward with API licenses for SAE 0W-8 and 0W-12 viscosity grades now lie in the hands of the Auto Oil Advisory Panel (AOAP) who need to evaluate the request and decide the path forward. “As sponsors of the proposal, we believe it fills a gap in API-licensable viscosity grades that couldn’t be delivered during ILSAC GF-6 due to the further delays it would have caused to the ILSAC GF-6 timeline.” Jeff also shared that because API registered the trademark for ILSAC GF-6 with future flexibility in mind, the API Shield remains an option for AOAP to consider when taking up the proposal to add these lower viscosity grades to ILSAC GF-6.
One initiative for change on the passenger car side that has prompted much discussion is the need for an interim API SP PLUS between-category classification. As Jeff explains, “The use of ‘PLUS classifications’ overall has been rare, the most recent being API SN PLUS in 2018, which was needed to mitigate the phenomenon of low-speed pre-ignition (LSPI) in some turbocharged gasoline direct injection engines. Developing the API SN PLUS classification allowed the industry to address the issue by getting improved engine oils in the marketplace fully two years before ILSAC GF-6 was launched.”
However, as Jeff continues, although there is a potential need for API SP PLUS, other industry activity could impact its development timing.
Jeff Harmening, API EOLCS Program Manager
With oil drain intervals continuing to lengthen, there's an additional need to ensure that oils can protect the engine from LSPI throughout the lifetime in the vehicle. There's an engine test already in the works and that test includes a procedure that ages the oil in an existing test platform and then measures the performance of that oil using the same sequence IX test that we use today in GF-6. So there's a viable pathway to a potential SP plus.
Additionally, a recent proposal made to the AOAP to divide the needs set forth in ILSAC in their GF-7 request into manageable parts and moving GF-7 up to 2024 while adding a GF-8 in 2028 could impact this scenario.
The acceleration of ILSAC GF-7 timing could clearly impact the need for an interim PLUS category if industry is able to deliver the necessary higher-performance oils faster. But, the industry at large has a very full plate, which means Jeff is sure AOAP will consider the ILSAC GF-7 proposal very carefully. However, with the proposed 2024 ILSAC GF-7 timing, we were keen to understand how realistic he sees the timelines and what challenges he anticipates?
Jeff Harmening, API EOLCS Program Manager
Well, I think there are fewer challenges in meeting the 2024 GF-7 timeline that first appears from the proposal. Yes, it seeks to deliver a new gasoline category in a period of about only two years, but it does pick out the low hanging fruit like the aged oil LSPI test for instance, which is a test that's already quite far along in its development process. Getting a GF-7 out earlier than asked for will get higher performing oils out into the marketplace to address the current need, and that's a great thing. What I think will be most challenging, as always, is whether there are sufficient industry resources and funds to meet such a timeline.
Infineum’s view on engine oil specification developments are that they need to be considered as a whole. For the different PCMO options, including an SP PLUS category, API licensing of SAE 0W-8 and 0W-12 viscosity grades, and a new timeline for ILSAC GF-7 deployment, balancing of the different performance requirements and their proposed timings will be needed. In the current environment, where OEMs are increasingly selective about how they invest in future developments, Infineum believes ILSAC GF-7 should be a fit-for-purpose and robust category with technical success achieved in the most efficient way. This includes addressing the need for replacement tests and new tests needed for changing hardware or duty cycles, ensuring that enough engine test hardware is available for the proposed life of the new categories.
Over on the heavy-duty vehicle side, tough new NOx and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions regulations in 2027 and 2031 have prompted the Truck and Engine Manufacturers Association to request a new heavy-duty diesel engine oil performance category, PC-12 to ensure lubricants continue to deliver sufficient engine and aftertreatment protection. Jeff says the API is continuing to support the New Category Development Team (NCDT) and its many subgroups as the momentum builds towards the goal of meeting OEMs’ request for first license on January 1 2027. And he sees opportunities and challenges ahead.
Jeff Harmening, API EOLCS Program Manager
The opportunities are many as they relate to capability to further reduce emissions, improve the engine test platforms to more represent the modern day engines on the road today, and obviously provide better protection to allow those engines to last longer. The challenges remain the same; properly educating the diesel engine oil consumer and the oil changing public. As the NCDT wrestles with the long list of needs that it's addressing, it's clear that added complexity and possibly even separation of on-highway and off-highway needs is forthcoming. It'll be more important than ever to all of us to ensure that these future oils are properly applied and we all have a major role to play in that charge.
On December 20 2022, after this interview took place, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published a ruling on emissions from heavy-duty vehicles. The EPA final rule, titled “Control of Air Pollution from New Motor Vehicles: Heavy-Duty Engine and Vehicle Standards,” sets the final emissions standards and the timing for their introduction. While the main focus is on tighter NOx limits, the EPA ruling also sets tougher standards for pollutants that create ozone and particulate matter. Another key driver for this rule is sustainability of the equipment, as aftertreatment equipment is being asked for longer useful life and the engine and aftertreatment are to be covered by longer warranties. Starting with model year 2027, the new emission standards cover a wider range of heavy-duty engine operating conditions (including a low load cycle) and requires them to be met for longer periods of time and mileages. Lubricants for the PC-12 category will be directed at enabling new heavy-duty equipment to meet these 2027 emissions requirements.
While the AOAP and NCDT work diligently to get these new specifications delivered on time, we were keen to find out if there is a case for even faster development and introduction of API specifications. Jeff sees a real desire from stakeholders for a faster pace of change and a number of opportunities and challenges that could result.
Jeff Harmening, API EOLCS Program Manager
Developing new engine tests is usually the most time consuming aspect of lubricant specification development and at that time, the industry tackled seven of them at once. As a result, delivery of GF-6 took a little longer than usual to get over the finish line, but actually once all the engine tests were accepted into the category and API 1509 was updated, the licencing and the launch of GF-6 into the marketplace was accomplished relatively quickly. And while I'm certain that all stakeholders would prefer to avoid this scenario moving forward, there are of course both economical and technical challenges to faster category development, which the industry will wrestle with, not only now, but in the future as the pace of change in engine design and regulatory requirements speeds along.
Given the fact that new performance categories for both light- and heavy- duty vehicles are around the corner, Jeff says API recognises the potential for added complexity and confusion around the proper selection of motor oils. “Consumer education has always been a core responsibility of API and we will continue to work with various organisations to help the oil changing public. We will focus heavily on increasing our outreach and creating more educational tools and opportunities for consumers as we move forward.”
With sustainability and the quest for net-zero emissions firmly front and centre of attention for the automotive and lubricants industries, API commissioned a Lubricants Sustainability Working Group in June 2021. The group, which comprises a diverse mix of small and medium-sized enterprises representing the oil marketers, base stock refiners and re-refiners, additive companies and others has been working to assess the impact of lubricants on the environment. 18 months since their start, we asked Jeff for an update on the group’s progress.
Jeff Harmening, API EOLCS Program Manager
They have now completed their draft of what we're calling API 1533. The draft will now be escalated to the API lubricants group for a 60 day ballot…….We've also shared this draft with an international liaison group established by the work group to foster open communication and harmonisation of methodology with other industry groups from across the globe. If comments from these organisations as well as those resulting from the actual lubes group ballot can be addressed or adjudicated without too much trouble, we could actually expect API 1533 to be published and made available on API's website free of charge, by the way, by the March of 2023.
Soon after we recorded our interview with Jeff, the API initiated a 60 day ballot for TR1533 report: ‘Lubricants Life Cycle Assessment and Carbon Footprinting – Methodology and Best Practice’, and this ballot is set to close on 17 February.
Finally, we asked Jeff to close with his thoughts on the ways in which API activities contribute to the global effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve sustainability in the transport sector.
Jeff Harmening, API EOLCS Program Manager
Well for nearly 75 years now API and its partners have been developing and setting lubricant performance standards. For the last 40 years, we've been licencing engine oils and monitoring the quality of those engine oils in the marketplace through our aftermarket audit programme. For decades each new specification has delivered improved durability, enabled new equipment performance capabilities, and reduced friction by moving towards lighter viscosity grades and improved lubricant derived fuel economy. Over this period of time in each of these areas, API specs have enabled reductions in the total carbon footprint of existing and new vehicles alike and these specifications have enabled improvements in sustainability. Striving for improved sustainability has never been more important than it is today and API remains absolutely committed to the task at hand
Clearly there is a huge amount of work that must be completed in the next few years to ensure the new performance standards can be finalised and products can be developed and tested ready to meet the proposed timelines. Infineum Insight will keep you informed of API’s PC-12 and the various light duty specification initiatives including SP PLUS and ILSAC GF-7 – sign up here to receive regular updates to your inbox.
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