The relationship between oil, engines, and temperature is a fickle thing. Too hot and the oil becomes too thin; too cold and it is too thick. Either situation may result in inadequate lubrication of the engine, which can cause damage—sometimes of the catastrophic variety. That is why it is important for a motor oil to get up to temperature fast when it needs to, which can be tricky with full hybrid cars.
Full hybrid cars have engines that turn on and shut off in quick succession. This means that while traditional ICE engines can keep a constant oil temperature in the most effective range, hybrids rarely get up to temperature and stay there, because every time you brake or lift off the accelerator, the engine shuts off, and the temps slowly start dropping again. This is where new engine oils designed for hybrids come in. In this case, Motul invited us to Malaysia for the launch of its new NGEN Hybrid line of lubricants.
Benefits
The NGEN Hybrid line includes two engine oils designed for hybrids and plug-in hybrids, an 0W-16 and an 0W-20, an ATF fluid, and a brake fluid.
For the engine oils, these light viscosity lubricants promise more efficiency, extended protection, and engine cleanliness. Motul claims up to 45km more mileage per tank (a claimed 8% increase in efficiency), 10% faster flow from cold start, and 60% better engine defense. This means that the constant start-stop of hybrid engines should not be a problem for these oils, which should result in a healthier engine in the long run.
Next, the NGEN Matic ATF VI is designed for automatic gearboxes and can also be used as a power steering fluid. Meanwhile the new E DOT 5.1 brake fluid has a high boiling point and low viscosity and conductivity, all things that you would want for electric and hybrid vehicle hydraulic brakes.
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Green push
More interestingly, Motul has highlighted that these products are all made with regenerated base oils (RBO). RBO basically means that these lubricants have a base made from collected used oil, which is then refined through chemical processes into a purified raw material to be used for all four new products. This recycling results in oils that breathe second life into waste that normally just gets discarded. This is a good thing, if it weren’t obvious enough. True, the engine oils are only made up of up to 10% of RBO, but this is definitely a good start to a potentially more sustainable method of creating lubricants.
In addition to this, the plastic used in the packaging of the NGEN line is made up of 50% recycled materials, and the rest of the packaging (non-plastic) is made up of 100% recycled materials.
Modern oils for modern cars
All-in-all, the green credentials of these oils tend to match the vehicles that these oils are designed for, something Motul deserves kudos for.
It is about time that oils start matching the modern needs of higher technology cars. As a hybrid owner, these products give me some consolation that after the end of my warranty, there now exists more options for aftermarket oils to keep my vehicle running in top shape.
