VLS Newsletter – December 2023
Case Summary
Overall the number of cases stands at 99, with 6 products under investigation, 4 not compliant following investigation, 1 compliant during investigation, 11 compliant following investigation and 76 archived.
Case 010199 – concerns the conflicting ACEA claims made on PCEO 5W-30. The Named Party amended the clams made on the product to 5w30 BMW LL-04, and ACEA C3. A case publication notice has been issued and the product is subject to a six-month review.
Case 010198 – concerns the conflicting ACEA claims made on PCEO 5W-30. The Named Party revised the claims made to 5w30 VW LL3 & BMW LL-04, ACEA C3. A case publication notice has been issued at the end of the investigation and the case is subject to a six-month review.
Case 010197 – concerns the compliance of PCEO 5W-30 against ACEA C2 C3 with its HTHS value. The case was accepted on the 20thOctober. The product is unable to be found on the market from the source stated by the Complainant and consequently the case has been suspended.
Case 010196 – concerns HDDO 5W-30 and its compliance against stated OEM specifications. VLS believes that the technology to be able to meet the performance claims made on the product is not available in the automotive aftermarket and has informed the Named Party of its decision to publish the case investigation notice within seven days.
Case 010195 – concerns PCEO 5W-30 and its marketing claims against several OEM specifications including VW 504 00/507 00 and other applications. The investigation has been published to the website and is subject to a six-month review.
Case 010194 – concerns the OEM specification claims made on 0W-30 PCEO. The product was tested and found to be compliant, the case is now closed.
Case 010193 – concerns PCEO 5W-30 ACEA C2, C3 and its claim against VW 502 00/505 00 alongside ACEA C2 and C3. The investigation has concluded, and the case is subject to a six month review.
Case 010192 – concerns PCEO 5W-30 Fully Synthetic and marketing claims against ACEA C2, C3, API SN and VW 502 00/505 00. The investigation has concluded, and the case is subject to a six-month review.
Case 010191 – a case complaint enquiry has been made by a lubricant blender, the case registration form has not been completed and subsequently the case is closed.
Case 010190 – The complaint concerns the OEM specifications claimed on a Central Hydraulic Fluid. The product has been tested and the results made known to the Named Party with whom we await a response by the 6th December at the end of the 28 day consultation period.
Case 010189 – The case is subject to a six-month review in February 2024.
Case 010188 – The case concerns a Universal Tractor Transmission Oil. The VLS investigation is concluded, and the results have been published to the VLS website. The case is subject to a six-month review in April 2024.
Case 010187 – concerns the performance claims on an aluminium synthetic cutting fluid. The case investigation notice has been published to the website and the case is subject to a six-month review in April 2024.
Case 010186 – The case is currently undergoing a six-month review.
Case 010185 – The investigation has concluded in June subject to a six-month review in December 2023.
Case 010184 – The investigation has concluded in June subject to a six-month review in December 2023.
Case 010183 – The investigation is currently undergoing a six-month review.
Case 010182 – concerns a hydraulic oil and its compliance against the DIN 51524 Part 2 standard. The investigation is closed, a case investigation notice has been published to the website and the case is subject to a six-month review in April 2024.
Case 010181 – concerns PCEO SAE 5W-30. The case publication notice has been published to the website and the case is subject to a six-month review in April 2024.
Case 010178 – The case is subject to a six-month review in December 2023.
Case 010176 – The case is subject to a six-month review in January 2024.
Case 010167 – The product has been withdrawn from the market and the case is closed.
Case 010159 – A bulletin has been published by UEIL and the case is closed.
To view the case outcomes, visit http://ukla-vls.org.uk/case-outcomes/
To raise a case with VLS, visit http://ukla-vls.org.uk/case-handling-process/
VLS can only investigate complaints made against products available on open sale in the UK. For case submission guidance visit https://ukla-vls.org.uk/publications/
Industry News
UK Government Department for Transport has published its 2023 Automated Vehicles Bill which will set the legal framework for the safe deployment of self-driving vehicles in Great Britain.
UK Government – the Department for Business & Trade has announced a battery strategy to support its transition to net zero by 2050.
SMMT have announced that UK car production up again as inward investment surges.
The Retail Motor Industry Federation report that auction houses are continuing to witness a trend of price realignment, with a slight uptick in volume for November. Dealers are starting to adopt a targeted approach for stock, in anticipation of a positive bounce in the new year.
The European Union Commission has adopted new proposals on combining transport modes for more sustainable freight.
ACEA the European association of major motor manufacturers has set out a roadmap for future-proofing EU’s mobility ecosystem.
CECRA has reported that the European Parliament adopted its negotiating position on new measures to strengthen CO2 emission reduction targets for new heavy-duty vehicles, including buses, trucks and trailers.
ILMA report that EPA Chemical Rules Conflict with Energy Goals, Lawmakers Say.
ATIEL, the technical association of the European lubricants industry outlines the importance of the correct base oil to the finished lubricant, Lube magazine, December 2023, Pages 54 – 55.
Media Editorial
FACTS magazine, Q3 2023. Mike Bewsey reports on 10 years of upholding standards in the lubricants sector. Page 84.
Autotechnician, October 2023 reports on avoiding oils going rogue with a contribution from VLS.
Lube magazine, December 2023, VLS Technical Review Panel Chairman Alan Outhwaite provides a review of the year, page 53.
Commercial Vehicle Workshop, November 2023, features an interview with Alan Outhwaite, VLS Technical Review Panel Chairman, on the impact of VLS over the previous ten years.
Professional Motor Factor, November 2023, features the appointment of Jacquie Berryman as the new VLS Chair, page 11.
Lube magazine, December 2023 provides a report on the VLS press lunch held in October for the trade media, page 52.
Aftermarket, November 2023, features the appointment of Jacquie Berryman as the new VLS Chair, page 64.
Autotechnician, November 2023, spoke to Jacquie Berryman, VLS Chair, about the changing lubricants market. Page 6.
CAT magazine, November 2023, featured a report on the lubricants market with a contribution from VLS.
As a member, we would encourage you to disseminate the materials and content generated by VLS through your own communication channels.
Media Advertising
Lube magazine, December 2023, half page advert, page 45.
Events
ICIS World Base Oils and Lubricants Conference, London, UK. 6-8 February 2024.
Argus Global Base Oils Conference, London, UK. 19-21 February 2024.
UNITI Mineral Oil Technology Congress, Stuttgart, Germany, 16-17 April 2024.
Lubricant Expo, Stuttgart, 17-19 September 2024.
Social Media
Twitter (now X)
To follow VLS on Twitter click here.
You need to be logged into Twitter, or X, now to read tweets.
LinkedIn
To follow VLS on LinkedIn click here.
Stay Up To Date
We would encourage all members to make use of the content generated by VLS and share this to your own communication platforms. If your media team would like access to VLS press releases, newsfeeds and notifications from our social media accounts, please email admin@ukla-vls.org.uk, and we will add your name to our list of contacts.
Jacquie Berryman
VLS Chair
