Trends in Automotive Lubrication in Australasia

The need for special lubricants to meet the particular requirements of the Australasian vehicle population, has already been raised within the SAE.

This paper discusses possible future automotive engine oil requirements which could be required to meet the anticipated trends in vehicle registration patterns in Australia and New Zealand.

In projecting future needs, the effects of fuel quality and availability, possible alternative fuels, and changes in environmental legislation are also considered.

Although the requirements of ‘off highway” mining and earthmoving equipment need to be taken into account in setting targets for lubricating oil performance, no attempt has been made in this paper to analyse the sales of this type of equipment.