Electric cars: new technology requires new lubrication
During 2018, the sale of rechargeable cars is expected to exceed one million worldwide. This record shows how fast the automotive industry is changing. On the other hand, more and more cities want to ban diesel vehicles on their streets. In Paris, Mexico City, Madrid and Athens, such a ban could be in place by 2025. The map is being redesigned in an industry that expects to sell 77 million vehicles this year, and electric cars are an increasing part of that number.
Garb emphasizes that the range or range distance of electric cars is a key factor. With today's technology, that range usually ranges from 100 to 300 kilometres. The next generation of electric cars will soon be able to cover 500 kilometres. This could spur a breakthrough, partly because private use can be largely covered within 500 kilometres, and partly thanks to a denser network of charging stations.
"I think we will see enough electric vehicles across Europe by 2030, especially in large and densely populated cities,"says Garb. "In rural areas, consumers are likely to be partly dependent on hybrid solutions.
Behaviors and trends
Together with these developments in the electric car market, the concept of mobility is being redefined. When fully self-contained vehicles are possible, car sharing is expected to play an important role and, as it needs one, it will be called when necessary for the carpooler to leave without the need to find a parking space, as it will be directed to the next customer by an intelligent management system. "We can expect this to change the lifestyle and mobility habits of many people in Europe and other regions, including Asia. Since not all regions develop at the same pace, there is still room for conventional use on certain continents,"says Garb.
New technology - new lubrication
It is important to distinguish between fully electric cars and hybrid solutions. Hybrid cars still have a small combustion engine that extends the vehicle's range, as well as a partially electric transmission train. Hybrid solutions come in a wide variety of different designs, and today no one knows which concept will be the leader in 15 years,"explains Garb.
The combustion engine in a hybrid car will still need lubrication. This engine will have a smaller cylinder capacity, as it also has an electric motor, and will not need to produce all the power as in a conventional vehicle. With a smaller cylinder capacity, heat and ageing stability requirements will be increased. "This is because the more compact engines are also more encapsulated which further increases engine oil stress,"says Garb. In smaller engines with high power, a turbocharger is often used. This increases the need for protection against deposits and places high demands on the oil.
New demands
As the future involves completely more electric vehicles, the development of engine oil must continue. "This is good news for specialists like FUCHS, who can quickly adapt to the new requirements,"says Markus Garb. When the development of all-electric vehicles is intensified, other product groups will also be affected. New requirements will be imposed on gear oils, coolants and greases, in part because they will be in contact with electrical modules, sensors and circuits, and will be affected by electrical current and electromagnetic fields. "Lubricants must be compatible with everything from copper cables and electrical modules to special plastics and insulating materials. This means they will have to be more specialized to deal with lubrication in these environments,"Garb continues.
In addition, engines in electric cars also emit a large amount of heat, which must be removed from the electrical module. Here, effective cooling concepts will become increasingly important. Electric motors are also likely to be driven at ever-higher speeds to increase efficiency. New engines are already being designed and different lubrication and cooling concepts are being discussed. With high-speed electric motors, the RPM in the powertrain should decrease. Therefore, new reduction gears are being implemented for potentially higher input speeds.
"Changes are always a challenge, but at FUCHS we are used to adapting quickly to new demands,"says Markus Garb in summary. "We are now adapting our specific development strategies and working methods to meet the demands of lubricants, which come into contact with components in electrical transmissions. This gives us the opportunity to broaden our horizons and ensure that we remain at the forefront of technology as we move forward.