The fuel and lubricant supply industry currently faces two main concerns: higher prices and lubricant additives shortages. Unfortunately, these issues are primarily out of our control as suppliers. Record-high oil prices and supply issues are driving the higher lubricant prices worldwide. Similarly, additive shortages are affected by dwindling base oil supply stock. For many of our customers, these issues have caused great concern. They’ve had to reevaluate their lubricant budgets to reduce costs or switch to different lubricant products because their usual supplies are no longer available.

These ongoing supply and prices issues are not going away anytime soon in the lubricant world. So it’s time to start thinking outside the box. Luckily, Chevron is constantly innovating and conducting world-class research to find the latest lubricant technology breakthroughs to create superior products for their customer. One of their newest products may be the solution customers are looking for during these challenging times.

What are biofuels?
As we all know, climate change is a real threat to our planet and the fuel and lubricant industry. The fuel and lubricant industry is a massive emitter of greenhouse gases and carbon into our atmosphere, which causes climate change issues. But Chevron is committed to reducing its environmental footprint through various initiatives and by exploring new technologies.

To better address environmental concerns, Chevron has turned to the world of biofuel. Biofuels are nothing new. For years, fuel has been produced using biomass plant materials. The main product is ethanol, a biofuel created from plant materials approved for use in gasoline-powered vehicles. Most gasoline sold in the United States contains some ethanol now. In 2020, the 123.49 billion gallons of gasoline used in the United States had 12.63 billion gallons of fuel ethanol, about 10% of all gasoline fuel consumption. Typically the ethanol content of gas in the United States contains about 10% ethanol content, though it varies by region and blend. You can also find specific gasoline blends with higher ethanol too.

While ethanol may be the most high-profile biofuel material, it’s not the only one. Biofuel practices and technologies are already part of the fuel world. Besides ethanol blending, biodiesel products are produced from renewable sources such as vegetable oils, animal fats, and recycled cooking grease. These technologies and other plant-based fuel initiatives are gaining popularity daily as the fuel world looks for cleaner alternatives to petroleum-based products.

But what about biobased lubricants?
Unlike bio-based fuel and blends, plant-based lubricants have been much slower to appear on the market. The biggest reason is that it’s much more challenging to make an effective biobased lubricant than fuel. As a result, manufacturers struggled to create environmentally friendly products that still performed as well as petroleum-based lubricant supplies. Some of the biggest challenges lubricant manufacturers face in developing plant-based lubricant supplies include operating temperature limitations, fast degradation of bio-oils, lack of viscosity range, poor temperature fluidity, and increased sludge formation.

Chevron figured out biobased lubricants
Despite many of the difficulties that come from creating plant-based lubricants, Chevron’s research and development team set out to solve the problem. They started by creating a superior plant-based feedstock derived from plant seeds and pulp, then refined it into usable oil. This feedstock turned out to have better purity and molecular structure, so it was less likely to break down because it had lower volatility and friction. Once the plant-based feedstock was developed, the Chevron team created a proprietary process called ECOSTRENGTH™ Technology to filter out wax and other impurities from the stock. This process turns the feedstock into a premium lubricant!

Introducing Havoline PRO-RS™
Chevron’s plant-based technology breakthroughs helped create a revolutionary lubricant product, Havoline PRO-RS™. This fully synthetic top-tier, renewable motor oil includes 25% sustainably sourced plant-based oils derived using the ECOSTRENGTH™ process. But, this product is more than just a more sustainable choice. It also delivers superior lubricant performance, including:

  • Up to 19% lower volatility than other synthetic motor oils, which helps your oil last longer and reduces your oil consumption
  • Superior turbocharger efficiency and protection, up to 20% more effective than other synthetic motor oils, which helps extend the life of engine turbochargers
  • Better stress test durability. Tests showed that it could keep your engine running up to 1.3x longer than other synthetic motor oils
  • Oil viscosity is maintained longer, providing better thermal protection
  • Superior sludge control to meet OEM requirements, so your engine stays cleaner for longer

As for the sustainability features of this product, you can expect environmental benefits such as:

  • Top fuel economy over the life of the oil to help save on fuel costs
  • Better emission control
  • Up to 37% lower carbon intensity than other synthetic motor oils
  • It’s a USDA Certified Biobased product
  • Environmentally friendly packaging that uses 89% less plastic than traditional plastic bottles

Chevron is so confident in the Havoline PRO-RS™ product that it calls it the ‘best in the lineup.’ It’s backed by the Chevron limited product warranty and meets or exceeds all the latest automaker standards. You can order this product in four viscosity grades, including OW-16, OW-20, 5W-20, and 5W-30.

Why should you switch to more sustainable lubricants?
If you’re not sure if trying out the Havoline PRO-RS™ lubricant is right for you, consider these benefits of switching to more sustainable fuel and lubricant supplies, including:

  • Better fuel economy
  • Reduced carbon footprint
  • Potentially lower costs over time
  • Improved engine cleanliness and better emission control

But the biggest benefit of switching to more sustainable products is that it’s better for our planet. The more businesses and consumers switch to these types of products, and the more manufacturers will invest time and money into creating more sustainable products. That helps our planet! We are all concerned about the growing threat of climate change, and many of your customers may be eager for more sustainable choices. Wayne Glasser, General Manager at OILEX Grease Monkey®, says, “When Chevron introduced its new premium full synthetic, renewable passenger car motor oil – Havoline® PRO-RS™ – we jumped at the opportunity to include this product in our shops. We knew that our customers would be interested in having a premium full synthetic motor oil option for their vehicle. The fact that it is made with sustainably sourced plant-based oils means that we are all taking actions to support more sustainable practices. Most importantly, we’re able to expand our top-tier products by offering a differentiated, full synthetic motor oil to our customers. The bottom line is that Havoline PRO-RS is helping our business grow, and this motor oil really is better for vehicles and the environment!”

If you want to offer your customers the same opportunities, contact your Chevron Lubricants Supplier, Greg’s Petroleum Service today!