Breaking the cycle: How lubricant technology is engineered to reduce heavy-duty trucking’s emissions
To remain competitive in what is an increasingly dynamic environment, fleet operators must keep their finger on the pulse when it comes to new technologies, competitors, vehicle models or regulations. While it may be tempting to solely focus on basic operational costs, these areas all in fact contribute to the reduction of most fleets’ largest operating cost: fuel.
With fuel costs comprising approximately 55% of total cost of ownership (TCO), any decision that can improve fuel efficiency is one that will ultimately improve a fleet’s competitiveness.1 Or, put another way, any component that is overlooked or undervalued as part of this equation can, over time, become a huge, missed opportunity. And with margins for error shrinking, only those that identify and then act quickly on these developments are likely to pull ahead.
Why lubrication is a critical fleet component
Lubrication is a perfect case in point. Traditionally viewed simply as an operational ‘must have’ rather than an operational ‘value add’, your choice of lubricant can have an instant effect on fuel economy. But to switch from viewing lubrication as a financial outlay to seeing it as a fuel efficiency opportunity, it can be helpful to understand the science behind this impact.
The energy required for your engine to push lubricant through the system has a substantial say in how efficient your vehicle’s total operation can be. For example, if this process is difficult for the engine, less energy is available to drive the truck along the road, increasing fuel consumption and the associated emissions. On the other hand, if the engine is not forced to expend so much energy in pushing the lubricant out, then the opposite is true.
So, what makes a lubricant easier for the engine to deal with? The short answer is viscosity – the lubricant’s resistance to flow. Ultimately, the thicker a fluid, the greater resistance experienced within the system. While a lubricant also needs to perform other functions – not just reducing friction and protecting from component wear – generally, the thinner it is, the greater its ability to improve fuel economy.
Balancing the emissions equation
All of which obviously has a big impact on your fleet’s emissions output. An increasingly important consideration given that, while heavy-duty trucking makes up just 1% of total fleet vehicles on the road worldwide, it represents 25% of the emissions that come from the road.2 Again, it’s important to fully understand the facts behind how these emissions are produced and measured in order to best deal with them moving forward.
Trucks emit both carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions as well as tail pipe emissions (particulate matter (PM) and nitrogen oxides (NOx)). While CO₂ emissions often seem to take prominence in conversations surrounding decarbonisation, it is the latter – PM and NOx – that the industry-wide emission standards measure.
Meanwhile, a vehicle’s CO₂ emissions are measured through a relatively complex set of equations that consider the amount of fuel consumed during different operating parameters during commercial vehicle operations. Though, ultimately, the amount of CO₂ emitted by a truck is dictated by its overall efficiency, proving the importance of lubricant choice alongside other operational decisions that have the potential to affect this output.
Vehicle Energy Consumption Calculation Tool (VECTO)
To help simulate and determine the fuel consumption and CO₂ emissions profile of different heavy-duty vehicle designs across the European Union, the European Commission has created VECTO, which aims to support the industry in meeting new regulations that legislate for a 15% CO₂ emissions reduction by 2025, and 30% by 2030, compared to 2019-20 levels.
While for now, these are targeted at OEMs – driving them to produce more efficient vehicles – it is context that all industry professionals should be aware of given its impact across the entire value chain. That may be in the form of lubricant suppliers, whose products must meet rising standards to be considered for usage, or fleet operators and managers, who may use the tool’s findings to purchase the most efficient vehicles available to them.
Covering five profiles for trucks and five for buses and coaches, VECTO virtually simulates the drive cycle of these vehicles based on various inputs, ranging from vehicle weight and aerodynamics to engine performance and gearbox friction. These manufacturer-specific inputs help build a picture of power consumption across each vehicle component. In turn, this helps OEMs determine the fuel consumption and CO2 emissions performance of their heavy-duty vehicles across standardised driving cycles.
Not all oils are created equal
To explore how a tool like VECTO may affect more than just truck manufacturers, let’s take a closer look at its potential impact on the world of lubrication. After all, lubricant is a core component of vehicle design that can help reduce fuel consumption while protecting components.
If a lubricant can provide even a 1% efficiency benefit, through lower viscometrics for example, this can support OEMs in meeting their own fuel efficiency requirements.3 As a result, there is a clear incentive for OEMs to make lubrication decisions that will support wider environmental legislation.
This is why European OEMs are increasingly moving towards even lower viscosity oils, since they have realised the fuel consumption benefits, they can offer. As these shifts become more widespread across the sector, engines, and other driveline components – such as transmissions and axles – eventually become redesigned to facilitate the new, more beneficial oil technology.
With lubrication as a key element of engine and component development, it becomes more important than ever for lubricant suppliers to develop products that meet the highest specifications – creating a virtuous cycle of product and technology development.
However, this doesn’t mean every lubricant will rise to the same standard. While it is relatively easy to make a low viscosity oil, it is more difficult to make one that also provides excellent durability throughout its lifetime, which can be proven under field trial conditions. Therefore, only the most effective – and efficient – lubricants become recommended by leading manufacturers.
The benefits of following the formula
When OEMs make their trucks more efficient by design through the shaping of components around industry-leading technologies – such as low viscosity lubrication – fleet operators should take note. After all, if trucks are designed this way to meet efficiency standards, then it would be remiss of operators to overlook the potential benefits they can reap by following these recommendations.
Take lubrication, for instance. Just like OEMs in the chain above them, market-leading fleets have largely realised the potential that lubricants hold for their business, creating a professionally run maintenance programme that has the latest lubricant technology at its core. The result is that the whole powertrain is subsequently working towards the TCO reduction of their fleet.
Better yet, making the switch is easy – it simply requires you to change your lubricants during your regular service. The new, fuel-efficient lubricants can then be left to work as you enjoy the benefits. There is no costly driver training or performance measurement, just the lower drag of the lubricant in your machinery allowing for greater fuel economy.
Shell Rimula R7 AD 5W-30 can provide up to a 3.9% fuel efficiency improvement compared to conventional viscosity grades3, with the entire Shell Rimula R7 range holding individual OEM approvals thanks to characteristics that have been proven across a range of field trial testing.3 Shell Rimula R7 Plus AD, for instance, was the first product to be approved against Daimler’s latest and most demanding DTFR 15C140 service fill specification, which is used for the 3rd generation of their successful OM 471 engine.
Multiply your oil’s impact with a proven partner
When it comes to choosing this oil, consider reaching out to a lubrication expert with a proven track record in the heavy-duty trucking sector. Shell is one technology leader that can work with you to introduce the latest products to your fleet, so you can meet today’s performance and regulatory requirements. And with dedicated, experienced, local account managers and technical, cross-market experts, you can be sure you’re getting advice that is tailored to your needs.
Disclaimers:
1 North American Council for Freight Efficiency. “2022 Annual Fleet Fuel Study (PDF).” 2022.
2 Amina Hamidi and Enrique Meroño. “How to decarbonize heavy-duty transport and make it affordable.” World Economic Forum. 16 August, 2021.
3 Based on controlled field testing which produced statistically significant data. 1% fuel economy benefit proven for Shell Rimula R7 products vs a 5W-30 (3.5 mPa·s) HTHS. Shell Rimula R7 range has demonstrated 3% fuel economy when compared to a 10W-40 and 3.9% when compared to a 15W-40.
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The companies in which Shell plc directly and indirectly owns investments are separate legal entities. In this content “Shell”, “Shell Group” and “Group” are sometimes used for convenience to reference Shell plc and its subsidiaries in general. Likewise, the words “we”, “us” and “our” are also used to refer to Shell plc and its subsidiaries in general or to those who work for them. These terms are also used where no useful purpose is served by identifying the particular entity or entities. ‘‘Subsidiaries’’, “Shell subsidiaries” and “Shell companies” as used in this content refer to entities over which Shell plc either directly or indirectly has control. The terms “joint venture”, “joint operations”, “joint arrangements”, and “associates” may also be used to refer to a commercial arrangement in which Shell has a direct or indirect ownership interest with one or more parties. The term “Shell interest” is used for convenience to indicate the direct and/or indirect ownership interest held by Shell in an entity or unincorporated joint arrangement, after exclusion of all third-party interest.
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