PLI is committed in responding to the changing trends in mobility and meeting the evolving needs of our partners and consumers, in 2019 we were one of the first companies to introduce a dedicated lubricant for hybrid vehicles. Hybrids are taking a crucial role in the electrification transformation of the automotive industry and their sales will continue to grow in the next years, by 2030 hybrid cars will represent the 35% of global light duty sales. We are now launching the second generation of engine oils for hybrid vehicles with a new technology: CoolTech-H, and a product portfolio that’s able to cover globally the hybrids’ requirements of different OEMs and offer a top quality solution to our customers. 

CoolTech-H is our new technology specifically developed to address the additional challenges faced by the internal combustion engines equipped on Hybrid cars. CoolTech-H technology is the result of our experience, innovation programs and extensive testing for the hybrid segment, we have developed a full range of products to cover the multiple needs coming from hybrid vehicles of the major OEMs globally whilst ensuring long lasting performance.

The internal combustion engine (ICE) and the electric motor in hybrid vehicles work together to maximize efficiency and performance to reduce fuel consumption and emissions. In this particular hardware set up, especially during the urban use, there is a continuous switch in between the ICE and the electric motor: resulting in 10 times more start & stop of the engine compared to a standard car. This means the ICE works for short periods and the oil temperature is in the average 40° C lower compared to traditional cars; leading to unique challenges- faster oil degradation, increased risk of wear and critical components failure, corrosion, water accumulation and loss of performance.

The industry has yet to not released specific tests for lubricants used on Hybrid engines, even if there are well known challenges connected to the workings of hybrid vehicles: faster oil degradation, oil contamination, lower operating temperatures, water accumulation, fuel dilution in the oil and increased risk of wear and critical parts failure. We have tested our oils against the most stringent international test methods and got outstanding results: up to 89% better oxidation resistance and 68% less wear vs API SP. We have also stress tested  our technology with dedicated field trials going 5.000 km over the OEM recommended drain interval (20K km instead of 15K km) to check oil durability and wear in extreme conditions, at the end of the test there were no signs of degradation and corrosion, no wear detected in the engine.

Whilst there are many high quality lubricants carrying the latest international approvals, they have not been designed to address the specific challenges of hybrid engines. The unique workings of hybrid vehicles creates very specific needs, the ICE  faces continuous starts and stops, frequent cold starts and an overall lower operating temperatures; leading to various issue like faster oil degradation, increased risk of components wear and loss of efficiency. PETRONAS Syntium with CoolTech-H has been specifically developed and tested to address the key hybrid vehicle challenges, offering a long lasting protection and maximize engine efficiency.

There are several types of Hybrid vehicles using a different hardware, the most common are: Mild Hybrid (MHEV), Full Hybrid (FHEV) and Plug-in Hybrid (PHEV). All of them combine the power of an internal combustion engine (ICE) and at least one electric motor to improve fuel consumption and lower emissions. MHEV is using the electric motor only to assist the ICE and does not have an electric only drive mode, FHEV are equipped with a higher battery capacity and a more powerful electric motor able to propel the car alone, PHEV has an even higher battery capacity and powerful electric motor and it’s possible to recharge the battery from external sources granting a longer usage in electric drive mode only. The continuous switch between the ICE and the electric motor is the main cause increasing the risk of engine wear and oil degradation, so FHEV and PHEV are the most impacted. CoolTech-H technology has been developed to fulfil the needs and protect all the hybrid technologies.

The PETRONAS Syntium Hybrid products have been developed to address the additional challenges that the ICE engine has to face when equipped in a hybrid vehicle such as: increased risk of wear and components failure, faster oil degradation, corrosion, loss of engine efficiency. PETRONAS Syntium Hybrid products can be used to manage the maintenance of traditional cars, requiring the same international technical specs (viscosity, API, etc..), with the additional benefit of offering more protection from wear and longer oil durability compared to standard engine oils.