As electrified vehicles become more commonplace, todays lubricant and fluid makers must find new ways to deliver optimized value and performance in this evolving automotive market. Xavier Branquet of U.S. additive company Lubrizol Corp. shares his thoughts on what is driving the market.

Imagine it is 2009, and you see a news item announcing that a major transmission manufacturer has ventured into the development of internal combustion engines. It would have come as a big surprise. As little as 10 years ago, most auto industry stakeholders would have thought it unthinkable to see headlines about original equipment manufacturers and tier-one suppliers reaching beyond their core business.

But the disruption created by the electrification of vehicles has made that scenario commonplace, with todays trend toward integrated electric transmissions (comprising a transmission, electric motor and inverter). Now, announcements of long-term partnerships, alliances, joint ventures, mergers or simply a new business unit at an OEM are occurring at a rapid pace, while tier-one suppliers are branching into new areas of development – all in the pursuit of success in an industry that is being reshaped by electrified drivetrains.

Meanwhile, technology startups further disrupt the industry and force established OEMs to rethink their e-mobility offerings, from vertical integration strategies of battery manufacture to second-life applications, such as energy storage and supply, and recycling, all summarized as vehicle-to-grid.

All this is indicative of three things. First, vehicle electrification is spurring real and radical change to the automotive space, and everyone should paying attention. Secondly, electrification hardware scenarios will be diverse, as the technology continues to mature into widespread viability. Finally, industry players will shape their electrification solution strategies according to their capabilities, capacity and ambitions.

What considerations need to be made? How can lubricant providers remain relevant in this changing automotive landscape? Electrification technical challenges can be investigated from two perspectives – the e-powertrain and the e-powerplant (the batteries). The following will focus on the e-powertrain, including considerations that must be made in the development of e-transmission fluids, hybrid-compatible engine oils and e-greases.

In the Electrification Current

While most passenger cars on the road today will continue to rely on the gasoline- and diesel-fueled ICEs for the foreseeable future, the pace of electrification is accelerating, and it is seen by many in both the automotive and lubricants industries as irreversible. The global market for electrified vehicles has grown significantly in just the past few years. Notably, the number of electric models offered by European OEMs will more than triple by 2021 to 214 from the 60 available in 2018.

As it currently stands from a consumer perspective, however, the variety of options for electrified vehicles remains narrow. According to the European Parliamentary Research Service, 33 plug-in hybrid vehicle models and 38 battery electric vehicle models were available in Europe in 2017. Waiting times are also long, and customization options are limited. They are also still relatively expensive for the average consumer.

But OEMs are looking to change that situation, and it will mean aggressive actions to accelerate EV adoption, reduce cost and eventually capitalize to extract value from an increasingly electrified vehicle parc. Ford Motor Co. recently predicted that electrified vehicles will represent most European sales by the end of 2022.

As of 2019, each new Volvo car will feature some degree of electrification. Volkswagen has stated its intention to launch 70 new electrified models over the next decade. And Toyota, which can be credited with bringing electrification to the mainstream with its Prius, continues to offer varying hybrid powertrains across its range of vehicle models.

Finally, the European Consumer Organization expects that by 2024 the average four-year total cost of ownership of an EV will be at parity to that of a gasoline car, if just a few modest tax incentives are applied.

Fluid Implications

Traditionally, lubrication has played the vital role of protecting ICE engine hardware from the ravages of friction, heat and wear. That role has become more complex over the years, as have OEMs pursued different ways to extract ever-smaller margins of efficiency from fossil fuel-powered motors. For example, ICEs have become smaller. Instead of relying on cubic capacity for power and performance, most ICE vehicles use forced induction, or a turbo, to generate additional power and efficiencies. This makes for a harsher, hotter and more intense operating environment demanding higher lubrication performance.

And so in the face of electrification, accelerated change on the ICE side means formulators must develop performance fluids tailored for a variety of demands – anything from a downsized three-cylinder gasoline engine to a full battery-powered electric powertrain.

Hybridization is, of course, currently the most common electrification architecture that has been adopted by the auto industry, where some combination of battery power and a conventional ICE unit work together to provide improved fuel economy and efficiency.

While changes to ICE architectures have demanded higher performance lubricants, fluids tailored for an electrified powertrain come with an entirely different set of considerations. Whenever any single engine component or subsystem is electrified, the role of the ICE changes, meaning that associated fluids must change accordingly.

New Performance Requirements

There are opportunities for lubricant companies in the next generation of mobility, beyond just lubrication. These include e-driveline fluids, hybrid-compatible engine oils and e-greases. Consider a dual clutch transmission, or DCT. An e-DCT has different requirements than a traditional DCT because of its electrical conductivity, as well as compatibility with a growing array of electric components, wires, sensors and other new materials incorporated into it. Formulations that have provided reliability in traditional DCTs may need to be entirely rethought.

New-generation electric motors also run at revolutions per minute upward of 20,000 rpm, necessitating new lubrication requirements. E-greases applicable for these demanding conditions can help achieve greater energy efficiency, higher durability for parts, noise reduction and the reduced potential for electric arcing.

And, as has been the case for lubricants since the dawn of the automobile, durability remains of utmost importance to an electrified future. With each change made to an engines architecture, ongoing durability to maintain peak performance must be considered. That means keeping friction, corrosion and other issues in check, all while maintaining optimized electrical properties. Poorly performing lubricants can degrade an electric motors materials, such as resins and silicones used as gap fillers, leading to a mechanical failure. Elsewhere, oxidation-related viscosity increases can lead to diminished overall engine efficiency.

Finally, many fluids designed for EVs must perform throughout the vehicles entire life span. Many BEVs transmission fluids are designed as filled for life, making the right fluid essential to proper vehicle operation the entire time it is on the road.

Seizing the Opportunity

Vehicle electrification is evolving so rapidly that many automakers and tier-one suppliers are concentrated exclusively on the hardware but may be overlooking the value that a new generation of advanced fluids can deliver. The first generations of electrified transmissions are often filled with off-the-shelf lubricants. However, with the move toward newer hardware technology becoming increasingly complex and sophisticated, the industry will no longer be able to rely on existing fluids to provide the desired durability, protection and performance.

The most notable driver in the trend toward integrated e-transmissions implies evolving requirements of lubricating technology. Specific fluids formulated with electrified needs in mind can and should be factored in as a strategic engineering component for OEMs and tier-one suppliers, which are upstream from the product development process.

Electrified powertrains require fluid performance that helps to optimize operation and reliability, and the variety of electrified driveline systems and hybrid components have differing requirements for transmission fluids and lubricants. This means new and specific sets of e-testing specifications. Lubricant and fluid marketers must continue to work to understand these needs and maintain their relevance to current and future electrified vehicles.