Shell Lubricants rises to the sustainable mobility challenge with two new engine oils for fleet transport operators

Shell Lubricants today unveiled two new heavy-duty engine oils, Shell Rimula R6 LME and Shell Rimula R4 L. They are the latest development in Shell’s on-going work to help fleet operators minimise their costs and environmental impact by improving fuel economy and reducing exhaust emissions.

The technology behind the new oils – Shell Rimula R6 LME and Shell Rimula R4 L – has been developed to help makers and operators of heavy-duty vehicles meet and beat new engine emissions regulations, such as Euro V and US 2007, with their challenging limits on particulate matter and oxides of nitrogen. The new products form part of a wider Shell strategy to contribute to ‘sustainable mobility’ by bringing to market advanced fuels and lubricants.

Demonstrating the two new Shell Rimula oils in action at the Shell Technology Centre in Hamburg, David Pirret, Executive Vice President of Shell Lubricants, said: “Improving and developing technology has never been more important to our industry as we face the particular challenges of making road transport more sustainable.

“Investment in the Shell Rimula product range has led to the formulation of highly advanced oils which meet customers’ changing needs. For example, Shell Rimula R6 LME shows how Shell Lubricants, working closely with Daimler, the world’s largest supplier of trucks, is helping improve fleet efficiency and local air quality. Fossil fuels, particularly diesel, will remain central to transport needs for many years to come, so innovative responses to the sustainable mobility challenge are essential.”

Shell Rimula R6 LME is a synthetic technology, low-SAPS (Sulphated Ash, Phosphorous and Sulphur) oil, approved for long-drain application by Daimler’s leading truck brand, Mercedes-Benz, and others. It is the most advanced heavy-duty engine oil yet developed by Shell and provides high protection even at the low viscosity levels required to deliver improved fuel economy.

In combination with fuel economy gearbox and axle oils, Shell believes that Rimula R6 LME can help improve the fuel economy of heavy-duty trucks by up to 5% (*1).  Independent testing has shown that changing to Shell Rimula R6 LME alone can provide up to 1.1% fuel savings versus a10W-40 oil (*2).  A 1% fuel economy saving can equate to 1.3 tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) saved per truck each year (*3), so with more than 30 million commercial freight vehicles on European roads (*4 ), using Shell’s fuel economy lubricants could help to reduce CO2 emissions significantly.

Mercedes-Benz Truck, which worked closely with Shell during the development of Rimula R6 LME, said: “In our own in-house tests, Shell Rimula R6 LME delivered superior engine protection in the most severe circumstances. We value our technical collaboration with Shell and we are confident that using Shell Rimula R6 LME can help give our fleet customers fuel savings and emission system compatibility without compromising their maintenance intervals."

The second new engine oil Shell Rimula R4 L has been formulated to meet the heavy-duty engine requirements of the most testing new engine emissions regulation - such as EURO V & US 2007 - anywhere in the world.
Shell Rimula R4 L, which replaces Shell Rimula Super, offers enhanced protection for both the engine and exhaust after-treatment devices, helping operators optimise the emissions performance of their vehicles.

David Pirret, Executive Vice President of Shell Lubricants, said: “Shell Rimula R4 L can be used across fleets whether new or old and, since it already meets all the available test requirements for the next generation of European oil specifications ACEA E9, switching to Shell Rimula R4 L means a fleet can meet tomorrow’s legislative requirements today.”

*1 - Based on Shell testing in-house and with customers
*2 - Independent testing at Technical University of Graz
*3 - Assumes mileage of 130,000km and 33L/100km
*4 - European Commission DG for Energy and Transport: Energy and Transport in Figures 2007

 

Notes to editors

1. Shell is the global leader in branded lubricants and the largest marketer of lubricants with 12% of the global lubricants market, in volume terms (Kline).
2. The term ‘Shell Lubricants’ collectively refers to Shell Group companies engaged in the lubricants business. They manufacture and blend products for use in a range of applications from consumer motoring to food processing and heavy industry to commercial transport. Shell’s portfolio of lubricant brands appeals to top tier and mass market consumer segments and includes Pennzoil®, Quaker State®, Shell Helix, Shell Tellus, Shell Cassida, Shell Rimula, Shell Spirax, Tongyi, a portfolio of car care products and Jiffy Lube®.