In The News
Birth of an engine oil: Shell officially launches new formulations
WASHINGTON — Our nation's capital. Here's where it all started. Not the birth of a nation but the birth of an engine oil.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and EPA here in Washington, D.C., came up with new regulations to reduce NOx and particulate emissions and increase fuel efficiency, thereby necessitating new engine oil formulations.
"Here's where it all started," said Chris Guerrero, global heavy-duty engine oil manager for Shell Rotella and Shell Rimula, Tuesday during Shell's official launch of its new formulations, CK-4/FA-4.
Shell's new portfolio of Shell Rotella heavy duty diesel engine oils include Shell ROTELLA T4 Triple Protection 15W-40 and 10W-30 along with Shell ROTELLA T5 Synthetic Blend 10W-30, which are formulated to meet the specification criteria for the new API CK-4 service category for diesel engine oil.
Shell spokesmen here said they are the most technologically advanced Shell Rotella engine oils ever and also offer the protection required by diesel engine manufacturers. New Shell Rotella API FA-4 oils will be available later this year.
Iconic Shell ROTELLA T Triple Protection is now Shell ROTELLA T4 Triple Protection as it takes its place in the new Rotella portfolio which provides a ladder of protection for diesel engines. For advanced synthetic engine oil needs, Shell ROTELLA T5 Synthetic Blend 10W-30 has been reengineered as well. Both of these engine oils will be on retail shelves soon. They will not show the API CK-4 donut until December 1, which is the date of first license for CK-4 and FA-4 engine oils.
Shell ROTELLA T5 Ultra [Synthetic Blend] 10W-30, which will meet the API FA-4 specification, will be introduced in December. It is designed for improved fuel economy versus ROTELLA CK-4 oils while offering equivalent wear protection to CK-4 products. Shell ROTELLA T5 Synthetic Blend 15W-40, Shell ROTELLA T6 Full Synthetic 5W-40 will also be reformulated to meet CK-4 specifications.
Selecting the proper Shell ROTELLA engine oil for a truck or equipment will be easy, spokesmen said. If it was built prior to 2016, whether it is on- or off-highway, choose CK-4 oil which directly replaces CJ-4 oils. For a 2017 on-highway vehicle, check with the manufacturer before changing the oil for the first time and if they allow a FA-4 oil, choose Shell ROTELLA T5 Ultra 10W-30. Shell ROTELLA will also be introducing a Shell ROTELLA T6 Multi-Vehicle 5W-30 which will meet API CK-4 and API SN standards allowing its use in both diesel and gasoline engines.
"The Shell ROTELLA portfolio will have new bottles and labels that evolve from the current offering, said Guerrero. "Our goal was to protect the recognizable look of our bottles while simplifying the naming and developing a strong label design to help our customers select the proper Rotella product to meet their needs."
The logical naming structure of T4 to T5 to T6 and the Triple Protection identifier makes each engine oil easy to identify. Shell ROTELLA T4 products will maintain their white bottle, Shell ROTELLA T5 Synthetic Blend products will maintain their silver color and Shell ROTELLA T6 Full Synthetic products will continue in blue bottles. The bottles retain a much-preferred two-handled design for easy pouring and the thinner dimension fits easily on retail shelves, in a shop or truck. Shell ROTELLA bottles will be available in one-gallon and quart sizes.
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