A recent survey conducted by Mobil 1 in conjunction with the Institute of Advanced Motorists revealed two-thirds of the 1000 motorists questioned didn’t even know what oil their car needed and a staggering 96% didn’t much care much either.
However, is pushing old reclaimed oil as new – and now a totally vegan alternative – just going a bit too far?
Since launching in the UK in 2023, German ROWE Motor Oil has majored on sustainable manufacturing and developing renewable products, and has been “fully CO2 compensated” since 2017.
Serving over 80 countries, the brand’s ‘soft UK launch’ was followed earlier this year by a new 100% plant based oil labelled Sunspeed. But ROWE’s Jeremy Aston-Phillips says that its Net Zero drive is not simply a marketing stunt.
Sunspeed is said to be 100% biosynthetic, void of any fossil-based mineral and crafted entirely from biomass. In-service benefits comprise superior performance and protection compared to conventional oils, with certain effectivenesses more than 60% better than API demands. Already race-proven, its launch into the mainstream market is a bold one that the German oil producer claims is redefining what’s possible in automotive care: sustainable innovation that doesn’t compromise on performance, “a huge win for car enthusiasts and the future of motor oil”.
French firm Motul is no stranger to pushing the envelope either. It introduced the first synthetic multi-grade back in 1971 and in more recent times, brought in era-specific classic car oils, a hybrid-specific oil range and has just launched a new range of road/track lubricants.
Motul’s most audacious step however is NGEN (short for Next Generation), which offers hitherto unseen levels of sustainability (using regenerated oil and, in the packaging, recycled plastic). It is 100% recyclable, claims the company, adding “we look to this to be the next step forward in Automotive Lubricants and, for us, a game-changer”.
Given the large numbers of internal-combustion-engined (ICE) vehicles that will remain on our roads for many more years, Motul decided to forge ahead with a sustainable oil range but, importantly, develop lubricants that do not sacrifice performance in any respect to achieve this sustainability. In fact, claims Motul, it is quite the opposite with its NGEN oils as they actually feature enhancements over their traditional counterparts.
As a result Motul firmly believes NGEN is the lubricant technology for the future: “We looked at the market holistically and at the issues and trends in the industry. We observed that OEMs across the board have prioritised preservation of the environment and Community Social Responsibility, and are heavily communicating their desire and determination to improve their environmental impact.”
Initially introduced as a motorcycle oil, chiefly because UK marketing manager Andy Wait says this market is traditionally more receptive to embracing new ideas – and because Motul has been the UK’s best-selling brand in that market for several years – NGEN is compatible with a huge variety of vehicles. In more specific terms, NGEN 6 is a dedicated fuel economy formula, designed for recent vehicles powered by petrol and hybrid engines, suitable for applications requesting the latest API SP standard – although it is also backwards compatible to cover all API specifications for the last 25+ years (and ILSAC GF-6A).
There’s no denying the quality of both these innovative oils, but how do the producers go about convincing the ever-sceptical motor trade and motorist alike, whose loyalty to particular lubricant brands verges on the tribal?
Andy Wait candidly admits that the average motorist will take some convincing. “While they talk about it, they’re not much bothered about sustainability – it’s the lubricant’s performance that really matters,” he said. But Motul wants to drive its impact on the environment and it finds the motorcycle fraternity more welcome to change, so long as the performance isn’t impaired.
“It’s not recycled but regenerated and there’s a big difference”, adds Motul’s UK Technical Manager Haz Tahier, who quips, “how many times is water reused?”. Only carefully selected waste engine oil for reprocessing is taken and even then a minimum of 25% new base stock is added in the mix.
Recycled engine oil is nothing new – EcoPower being well established in North America where it claims that it take up to 85% less energy to produce than oil refined from crude – but in the UK gained a dubious reputation back in the 1970s.
“NGEN has been throughly tested by independent governing body IPAC and is used by teams in motorcycle motorsport” says Wait. And as for the understandable prejudice, it’s not as bad you’d imagine. “Acceptance is quite good. Once explained then the barriers start to come down,” he said, although Motul UK’s head of sales and marketing admits it’s going to take a good few years before this type of engine oil becomes the norm.
NGEN is primarily about sustainability and while Motul doesn’t crow about the oil’s other benefits, independent tests show that easier starting and 10% gains in fuel economy and oil durability have been recorded. As for trade incentives, Wait says: “We’re looking at this and what we’ve done for starters is price NGEN the same as our conventional oils.”
There’s little doubt that the oil market needs to change and develop new lubricants to reflect shifting attitudes to our climate. Major household names are already sneaking a small percentage of reclaimed lubricant into their oils, but “we want to be the pioneers”, says Tahier.
Whether the trade or motorists want to come along for the ride remains to be seen. “The inability of the automotive industry to recognise the value of truly sustainable products remains a challenge,” ROWE warns. “A general tendency to brand loyalty, though commendable in some ways, is preventing the change that is necessary to protect the internal combustion engine in the medium term.”
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