HYBRID VEHICLES FEATURE


Hybrids – a growing market Emissions legislation and OEM commit- ments to net-zero are accelerating the pace of light-duty powertrain electrifi- cation. But, while we wait for the infra- structure to catch up and for consumers to fully embrace battery electric vehicles, we can expect a range of technologies to be in the market for the next 10 years and beyond. Hybrids – or electrified in- ternal combustion engines (e-ICE) – are well-established in the market and have demonstrated their ability to provide sig- nificant reductions to overall emissions. Many OEMs can be expected to include full- and plug-in hybrids in their short- to mid-term emissions reduction strategies as they transition away from the internal combustion engine. There was a reasonably fast growth


in hybrid production from 2020−2022 to meet orders from early adopters. By 2029 BEV, along with mild, full and plug in hybrids, are expected to account for almost 70% of worldwide light-duty ve- hicle production. In this same timeframe, hybrids containing a combustion engine (excluding micro hybrids) will account for around 34% of vehicles produced, while those hybrids that can employ the e-mo- tor for propulsion will account for almost 20%. Longer-term, vehicle electrification predictions are hard to make owing to the level of uncertainty of green deals and other government and industry ini- tiatives.


Hybrid lubrication challenges Currently, OEMs tend to recommend conventional passenger car motor oils (PCMO) for their hybrid models and have not introduced hybrid lubricant specifi- cations. However, many OEMs do make specific recommendations for their ve- hicles on viscosity grades or oil drain in- tervals (ODI). But, as e-ICE technology ad- vances, and the use of stop/start systems diminishes in favour of more complex systems, the environment is becoming very challenging for conventional lubri- cants. Each of the more advanced e-ICE configurations are different in their pat- tern of operating cycles and will chal- lenge the lubricant in very different ways compared to a standalone ICE. In HEV and PHEV architectures, where


the e-motor can drive the wheels, the ICE can stay off completely or be used to sup- plement the power of the e-motor under


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certain driving conditions. This means the engine operates for only short peri- ods and the oil temperature is much low- er than in a conventional ICE-only vehicle or more basic hybrid architectures. Specifically, issues with the accumu- lation of water and unburnt fuel in the crankcase have been noted, which can result in lubricant emulsions, rust, cor- rosion and increased wear – all of which have the potential to cause catastrophic parts failure. In addition, the engine performs a number of high-power cold starts, which create much more engine stress due to the rapid application of a high engine load. The concern here is the occurrence of particulate spikes, especially the con- centration of very small <23nm particles. Maintaining the effectiveness of ad- vanced aftertreatment systems over the entire vehicle lifetime will become in- creasingly important to ensure emissions compliance.


Impact of plug-in hybrid drive cycle


Hybrid-specific engine oil opportunities Increasingly complex hybrids, with very specific lubrication requirements, will become a bigger part of the vehicle mar- ket in the coming years enroute to full electrification. This trend is expected to drive the demand for a next generation of targeted lubricant formulations. Today’s hybrids rely on specifications


developed for ICE-only duty cycles. Whether e-ICE specifications will emerge


or if e-ICE dedicated tests will be progres- sively incorporated into existing OEM and industry specifications remains to be seen – but such activity would further support the growth of hybrid-specific oils. Infineum has been working closely


with OEMs, oil marketer customers and other industry partners to gain a com- prehensive understanding of these hy- brid challenges. Our work has shown that advanced lubricant solutions with per- formance tuned to the hybrid drive cy- cle can deliver specific benefits in hybrid applications. By combining our technical knowledge and advanced componentry


ICE used for short periods


Engine & oil temperature lower than ICE Regular high power cold starts


Results in water and unburnt fuel accumulation in the crankcase impacting lubricant and vehicle performance


Rust


Corrosion


Emulsions


Wear


Particulates


High potential for catastrophic parts failure © 2022 Infineum International Limited. All rights reserved Infineum research indicates that the


more complex e-ICE configurations ben- efit from hybrid-specific engine oils that have been tuned to meet the challenges presented by the different operating con- ditions encountered.


Infineum has developed lubricant solu- tions that OEMs, oil marketers and con- sumers can trust to protect and enhance the performance of e-ICE technologies – now and into the future.


Originally published on Infineum Insight 30 August 2022. www.InfineumInsight.com


LUBEZINE MAGAZINE | March 2023


High emissions spikes of particles including <23m


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