Increasingly more people are turning to hybrid vehicles to reduce their environmental impact and save money on fuel costs. Most hybrid SUVs top 35 mpg, while most hybrid sedans exceed 45 mpg. That’s about 40% better than non-hybrids.
Video transcript: Hybrid Vehicles Require Advanced Protection
Featuring John Gardner, host of Motorhead Garage, and Leonard “Len” Groom, AMSOIL Director of Product Marketing (author profile).
John Gardner: Perhaps you want to get a few more miles per gallon, maybe a hybrid’s for you. Welcome to this AMSOIL tech tip. This Ford* f one fifty?
It’s a hybrid. And you know there’s a lot of special service precautions that go on with a hybrid and oil is just as important. But before we get to that, let’s talk a little bit about hybrids. What’s going on?
Well, have an ICE engine, internal combustion engine, and sandwiched in between that, well, there’s your actually hybrid motor, your electric motor that goes in between that and the transmission. You could have a couple different types of hybrids. You can have the one right there on the top as a series hybrid. It’s just feeding the battery packs and then the motor and the actual electric motors driving the vehicle.
On the bottom, well, a parallel, both of them. The ICE engine, the internal combustion engine, and the hybrid’s driving it. And you got a series parallel, which everything kind of helps as you’re going along. But that’s a big problem because this is a Ford f one fifty, but there’s Priuses, there’s Accords, they’re low compression engines.
They don’t develop a lot of heat. Oil is the key here. Hybrid oil, as a matter of fact.
Len Groom: Right. It it requires a specialized product because those engines that you talked about have a tendency to produce condensation. And water and oil, they’re not friends. So you have to formulate the product to deal with that moisture. We do that by adding rust and corrosion protection into the formulary.
John Gardner: Now that’s something I’ve never seen before, Len, is 0W16. I mean, that’s phenomenal.
Len Groom: Yeah. Sixteen weight. That’s the thinnest recognized oil out there right now. [Editor’s note: SAE J300 has since added 0W-12 and 0W-8 grades.] And with a sixteen, there’s not a lot of room for failure. So you really need to make sure that that oil is built properly right out of the gate.
John Gardner: Now, any hybrid, it’s a good idea to put hybrid motor oil in it. I mean, it’s specific. Everybody’s just dumping normal oil in there.
Len Groom: Not a good idea. No. It’s not good in the long run. As you’re hanging onto these cars longer, this is where you want to be at. It’s going to deal with these issues, provide a nice, reliable, problem free protection.
John Gardner: Now these hybrid vehicles are full of technology, so you better make sure that your oil is too. And AMSOIL is up for that task. So if you’re driving a hybrid, make sure you go to AMSOIL.com. Check out their hybrid oil and all their other phenomenal products.
While hybrid vehicles offer excellent fuel efficiency, the internal-combustion engine (ICE) in a hybrid vehicle endures a unique set of challenges. Infrequent engine usage and increased stop/start activity place demands on lubricants not common in traditional ICE vehicles.
AMSOIL 100% Synthetic Hybrid Motor Oil is designed to solve those problems with purpose-built protection for the hybrid drive cycle, maximizing hybrid-engine life, efficiency and performance.
Cold-temperature protection
Infrequent engine usage and increased stop/start activity can accelerate engine wear in hybrid vehicles. Independent, third-party testing demonstrated that AMSOIL 100% Synthetic Hybrid Motor Oil provides up to 16% better low-temperature viscosity than Mobil 1,* delivering better protection at startup.A
Combats corrosion
Hybrid engines operate intermittently, making them especially vulnerable to corrosion. Infrequent use and reduced loading of the engine leads to lower engine temperatures that do not completely evaporate condensation, leading to rust, wear and decreased efficiency.
AMSOIL 100% Synthetic Hybrid Motor Oil is formulated with a boosted dose of inhibitors to help prevent condensation related corrosion and maintain optimal engine performance, while its elevated level of dispersants effectively manage water that enters through condensation.
Comments
Brad Nelson is an AMSOIL Technical Writer II who develops content about lubricant technology, product performance and vehicle maintenance. He works with engineers and product specialists to translate testing, application requirements and approved performance claims into clear customer guidance. Nelson’s work includes AMSOIL Blog articles, AMSOIL Magazine features and technical explanations concerning motor oils, gear lubricants, vehicle systems and maintenance practices.
Share: