Overdrive Magazine | Trucking Business News & Owner Operator Info
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/135388
Thick & thin Next-generation oil likely to have split categories, including low-viscocity fuel-efficient version By Jack Roberts If Upcoming greenhouse gas emissions regulations will usher in a new oil category for heavy-duty trucks. But will a split category complicate things for fleets and owner-operators? recent announcements from truck manufacturers are any indication, the next generation of heavy-duty equipment will be a big step toward lower greenhouse gas emissions and improved fuel efficiency. Some manufacturers have suggested that these new technologies will allow owner-operators to spec 10 mpg trucks by 2016. A key component in this push will be a new engine oil category. While the new oil will feature lighter viscosity for enhanced fuel economy, it also likely will have a second category of higher viscosity to ensure extra protection where it's needed. The desire for a lighter-weight engine oil is basic physics, says Dan Arcy, OEM technical manager for Shell Lubricants: Parts require less energy to move through thinner fluids. While the energy lost by forcing an engine to churn heavier oil is tiny compared to factors such as aerodynamics or tires' rolling resistance, a lighter oil still will provide up to a 3 percent efficiency gain compared to current 10W/30 viscosity oils. Oil companies and engine manufacturers have been working in tandem with the American Petroleum Institute to develop this next-generation diesel oil, which has been designated Petroleum Category 11 (PC-11). It's scheduled to debut in January 2016 – one year in advance of federally mandated GHG emissions-compliant engines. The new category was requested by engine and truck manufacturers in 2011, Arcy says. "The driving force for the new category is for reduction in CO2 emissions, new fuel economy standards and mandates for an increase in the use of renewable fuels," he says. The new oils – and the engines that will 42 | Overdrive | June 2013 Oil.indd 42 5/29/13 9:51 AM