IFC’s new global engine oil specifications under final review

The International Fluids Consortium (IFC) was established in 2020 by 11 vehicle manufacturers, to replace the current fragmented regional approach to developing automotive lubricant specifications with a more efficient global system. Engine oil development is still one of the most effective ways to improve fuel economy. The consortium is looking to develop a system that balances the time taken to create vehicle specifications with the total cost of vehicle ownership and the performance of products for the vehicle owner. 

The transportation industry is undergoing what some have called a “once in one hundred years transition” as OEMs shift towards being mobility companies and oil majors becoming energy businesses by entering renewable power generation in a big way. OEMs have now seen the need to take a greater leadership role in unlocking innovation in the supply chain and maintaining momentum towards the future.   

Mike Kunselman, business development manager of the Center for Quality Assurance (CQA) speaking on behalf of the IFC, provided an update on the development of IFC specifications during F+L Week 2022 in Bangkok, Thailand, on April 29. CQA develops and administers licensing and quality control programs for specification-driven industries. The company is the administrator for IFC, having performed a similar role with a variety of other organisations in the lubricants industry including the Top Tier Gasoline & Diesel programs and NLGI’s High-Performance Multiuse (HPM) grease program, and previously, GM’s dexos’ licensing program.

Kunselman advised delegates at F+L Week that the first two IFC specifications, GEO-1 and GEO-2, are now in final review. The OEM consensus draft has been communicated to individual affiliate members and the organisation is in the process of gathering and processing feedback.

The GEO-1 and GEO-2 specifications are automotive engine oils for light-duty internal combustion engines with multigrade viscosity from SAE 10W-30 to 0W-8. GEO-1 serves the existing vehicle parc, whereas GEO-2 is suitable for fossil-fuelled light-duty vehicles equipped with gasoline particulate filters and has application for vehicles of the future. To ensure a smooth transition to IFC specifications, the performance standards are written by harmonising existing regional specifications, such as JASO’s GLV-1 and ILSAC’s GF-6A and GF-6B.

Kunselman also discussed the IFC roadmap and the importance of standardisation as the industry looks to identify future performance requirements for electrified vehicles.