Madeni Yağ Dünyası / Lubricant World

Total Lubricants introduced two new product series for electric vehicles whose importance and use are increasing day by day. The company aims to meet the expectations of manufacturers and users at the highest level with the EV fluids developed for passenger cars and light commercial vehicles as well as buses and heavy commercial vehicles.

Although internal combustion engine vehicles have the largest share in the automotive industry today, the demand for electric and hybrid vehicles is increasing every day. Studies show that electric vehicle sales will account for 20 to 50 percent of the light commercial vehicle market by 2030. It is expected that 70 percent of newly produced vehicles will be hybrid and electric in 2050.

Decisions taken to reduce carbon emissions around the world play a major role in the future of electric and hybrid vehicles. This change, which is expected to occur in the medium and long term, creates a need for lubricant products that are suitable for new technologies.

France-based energy giant TOTAL leads the market with its innovative cooling and lubrication product series developed for electric and hybrid vehicles. TOTAL has two product series: Total Quartz EV Fluid for passenger cars and light commercial vehicles and Total Rubia EV Fluid for off-road vehicles, electric buses and other electric heavy commercial vehicles.

These two product series offered to the market by Total Lubricants occupy a prominent place in the latest generation segment of the market, in addition to the wide range of products and services already offered for charging, storage and fleet management. High performance fluids, which are filled before the vehicles leave the production line, accompany the vehicles throughout their service life.

Özgecan Çakıcı, Technical Services Manager at Total Turkey Pazarlama, stated that TOTAL always prefers cleaner energy resources with its “Committed to Better Energy” commitment and shapes its product range accordingly. “Currently we meet the needs of gasoline, diesel and gas powered vehicles with our Total Quartz and ELF engine oils for passenger cars, Total Rubia engine oils for heavy duty diesel vehicles and transmission oils. However, our world is going through a significant change, which we are very strongly faced with due to the Covid-19 pandemic… Actually we are altogether experiencing this change in recent years. The environmental impacts we are exposed to as a result of this energy-centered change and the resulting legal regulations force the automotive industry to make continuous innovations and at the same time to meet user expectations for quality and performance,” she said.

"We meet the expectations of the producers"

Stating that there were approximately 2 million electric vehicles in the world in 2018, Çakıcı said: “According to the International Energy Agency (IEA) data and market research conducted by TOTAL, electric vehicle sales are expected to constitute 20 to 50 percent of the light commercial vehicle market by 2030. Some vehicle manufacturers have announced that they are planning to stop diesel car production in the passenger car segment. In parallel with these developments, products such as lubricants, engine oils or transmission oils were not a concern in electric and hybrid vehicle design until now, but today manufacturers are looking for new products with additional functions to help them meet changing requirements. These products are not only necessary for lubrication and cooling of electric motors, new types of powertrains and transmissions, but also for regulating the temperature of the vehicle's battery and power electronic systems.”

"Electric Vehicle fluids are quite different from conventional lubricants"

Expressing that TOTAL works in close cooperation with manufacturers, Çakıcı continued: “TOTAL's primary goal is to develop special solutions that meet the specific needs of our customers and guarantee the most efficient operation and maintenance of vehicles and equipment. We are proud to be the first company to introduce a special product range for electric vehicles to the market in 2018 after extensive R&D studies. We pioneer the market with two product series that meet the needs of vehicle manufacturers and help them design increasingly efficient electric and hybrid vehicles. With our Total Quartz EV Fluids for passenger cars and Total Rubia EV Fluids for heavy duty diesel vehicles, we offer a special solution for high-speed electric motors and transmissions, and control the excess heat generation in electric batteries. These products include not only conventional engine oil and transmission oil, but also oils with different features. In fact, we call these products fluid, not lubricants, and we will see that they will be referred to in the sector in this way because of their different characteristics from the mineral and synthetic lubricant products we know so far. The products in our EV Fluids product range not only have the standard lubrication, cooling and friction prevention properties of conventional engine and transmission oils, but also provide insulation with dielectric properties, easy operation with the materials of electric motor technology with compatibility feature, and safe operation against fire risk at very high temperatures with thermal properties."

Çakıcı stated that TOTAL has developed special lubricating and cooling fluids by focusing on four important issues required by electric and hybrid vehicles: “The first of these is insulation. Insulation is an important safety requirement for any use with electric current. The second one is compliance with the conditions of use of new electric vehicle materials in order to prevent the corrosion of copper coils in electric motors and to protect polymer coatings. The third one is heat... In electrical models, we enable the fast release of heat and prevent the batteries from heating up during rapid acceleration or fast charging. Lastly, the fourth one is the lubrication of the transmission and other components in order to protect the mechanical components, provide less friction and ensure the efficient operation of the vehicles for a long time.”

"We will continue to offer new generation technologies"

Çakıcı also noted that the product series offered by Total Lubricants for electric and hybrid vehicles is in accord with the Total Climate Strategy and the vision of reducing the carbon footprint of the energy products TOTAL offers to its customers. “With the investments we have made and planned in the field of electric mobility, we will continue to be a pioneer in the future mobility trends as a product and service provider and to offer new generation technologies to our customers and business partners. We will not only respond to the expectations and needs of the automotive sector, but also expand our service network with rational and easy solutions," she said.

The wide range of electric mobility solutions currently available at TOTAL and its subsidiaries also include:

• A network of charging points planned to include 1.000 high-power (150 kW) charging points at 300 fuel stations at every 150 km in Western Europe
• Access to tens of thousands of public charging points across Europe for professional drivers via TOTAL GR Card
• 10.000 charging points in France managed by G2Mobility and served to regional authorities as well as businesses and companies
• Special use solutions with electricity charging solutions and electricity supply services from Direct Energie and Total Spring in France as well as Lampiris in Belgium