Texaco Lubricants engages with industry on fuel efficiency

With fuel efficiency never more front of mind for fleet operators than at present, Dave Spence, Chevron’s commercial sector marketing manager, attended a recent British Transport Advisory Consortium (BTAC) meeting to hear what the industry had to say.

Key sessions throughout the day allowed attendees to share knowledge and best practice from a diverse range of speakers, including research data on UK operator behaviour, comparisons with US legislation, technology and driving practices and, most importantly from Texaco Lubricants’ perspective, an overview of some of the technical issues currently affecting fuel efficiency in the latest generation diesel engines, including those running at Euro-4 and Euro-5 as well as those meeting the new Euro 6 legislation.

One of the presentations centred on the issues modern engines face with injector deposits.  A growing number of operators have experienced problems with injectors clogging in recent years and the higher injection pressures, particularly applicable to Euro 6 engines, will certainly not help.  While there are a number of factors which can contribute to clogging, including the growing use of bio diesels, there are concerns that the very high injection pressures now involved carry the risk that any fuel deficiencies (especially for those vehicles travelling outside European borders) could seriously damage the injectors.

While relatively little is known about engine performance in the new highly sophisticated Euro-6 vehicles (there are currently only around 1,000 vehicles in operation in the UK, though that number will grow very rapidly), the general consensus is that we will have to wait a while longer to fully understand any implications. What is clear is that the higher injection pressures in Euro-4 and -5 engines are already giving rise to concern.

Dave Spence said: “It was a really interesting opportunity to meet with so many operators and engineers and hear their concerns. It underlined very clearly to me how useful our 2014 real world testing programme will be in establishing the fuel efficiency benefits of high quality ultra-low viscosity oils and innovative fuel additives to working fleets.

"Since this is our 100% focus at present I am confident that we have the ability to offer competitive advantage and we could offer ATFs a solution to this growing problem.”

For further information please contact: texlubgen@chevron.com