Page 12 - ILMA Compoundings - September 2021

INDUSTRY RUNDOWN Southwest Research Institute

Launches EV Consortium

As a share of new vehicle sales, electric vehicles (EVs) In mid-June, its inaugural session’s first order of business was
have stagnated at 2% market share the past three years. to begin determining the initial research topics, said Warden.
But don’t let that data point fool you: EVs are on the rise As part of its formation, SwRI proposed seven different
in the U.S., growing from fewer than 300,000 registered topic areas: efficiency, high-speed durability, oxidation
on the roads in 2016 to over 1.1 million last year, accord- control, aeration, heat transfer, electrical conductivity and
ing to the Pew Research Center. materials compatibility.
Though only 7% of American adults have an electric or SwRI’s staff members have decades of experience in the
hybrid vehicle, our driveways and roadways will soon look transportation industry, including extensive expertise with
much different: Nearly 40% are at least somewhat likely to electric powertrain systems, which includes research, testing
seriously consider purchasing an EV the next time they shop and modeling for light- and heavy-duty markets.
for a new car, according to an April 2021 Pew survey. For nearly 75 years, the organization has evaluated fuels
When it comes to EVs’ emergence, then, it is clear that the and lubricants used in air, rail, road and marine applications.
rubber has only barely hit the road. A meteoric surge in the At its San Antonio headquarters, SwRI operates one of the
market is not a question of “if” but “how soon” and “how much.” largest automotive fluid test facilities in the world and has
Against that backdrop, the Southwest Research Institute helped develop an array of industry fluid test procedures.
(SwRI) in mid-May launched an industry consortium, The lubricants in EVs are exposed to a unique environ-
Advanced Fluids for Electrified Vehicles (AFEV), to foster ment, including high rotational speeds, taxing thermal
powertrain advancements and increased insight into the requirements and the presence of the electric field. Gaining
stressors placed on EV fluids, or e-fluids. deeper insights into electrical conductivity, for example, is
The implications for the lubricant manufacturing industry are vital. “We know there’s a sweet spot where you want the
multifold. The immediate and long-term benefit is pooling finan- electrical conductivity to stay to prevent a safety hazard or
cial resources (based on annual fees paid over a three-year term) destructive wear, but we don’t know where that sweet spot
to maximize R&D dollars. Another benefit: The consortium is is,” Warden said. “How high is too high, and how low is too
composed of a diverse group, from base oil suppliers to OEMs. low? Electrical conductivity will change as the fluid oxidizes
“As we look to solve problems and better understand
the applications, maintaining a diverse group of members and the hardware wears, so knowing the limits is important
enables a multipronged approach to problem-solving,” said when you’re evaluating the life of the fluid.”
Rebecca Warden, SwRI manager of fleet and driveline Efficiency is a major focus, as advances in that realm
fluid evaluations. Along with Pete Morgan, SwRI program would mean expanded range capacity without increasing
manager, Warden is the AFEV’s co-project manager. battery pack size. “We have done some initial studies that
In addition to light-duty passenger car applications, the show lubricant properties change in the presence of the
market for medium- and heavy-duty applications is growing electric field,” Warden said. “Looking at two samples, one
as well, said Warden. “Globally, there’s a drive for electri- new and one oxidized, the viscosity profile of the lubri-
fication, especially in cities, to reduce carbon emissions,” cant changes in the presence of the electric field. The very
she added. “Some of our current and newest members are interesting part is it changes differently for the new sample
focused on medium-duty and heavy-duty markets that cover as compared to the aged sample. This will play a role in the
Class 8 trucks, medium-duty delivery trucks and the like.” overall efficiency of the powertrain over its life and indicates
As of early July, the consortium had grown to eight mem- we can’t just use conventional knowledge to evaluate them.”
bers spanning base oil, additive suppliers, Tier 1 hardware To learn more about the AFEV Consortium, visit
suppliers and OEMs. afev.swri.org.

10 SEPTEMBER 2021 | COMPOUNDINGS | ILMA.ORG