At the Automotive Oil Advisory Panel (AOAP) meeting on March 22, 2024, the ILSAC GF-7 ballot was ruled to be passing with all existing limits for the new oil category ILSAC GF-7A and GF-7B for gasoline-powered internal combustion engines with effective first license date of March 31, 2025. The International Lubricants Standardization Advisory Committee (ILSAC) initially requested the new category in August 2022 in anticipation of extremely aggressive fuel economy targets set to take effect in the near future. The US calls for Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) improvements of ~10% annually starting with model year 2026. OEMs continue to advance and refine engine designs to meet these goals and have called on the lubrication industry for help.

Key Drivers of ILSAC GF-7 for the MY26 vehicle launches: 

1. Improved fuel economy 

2. Improved piston deposit performance

3. Aged oil LSPI in Sequence IX testing to mitigate LSPI issues during oil drain periods

4. Improvement in new oil MRV to a max of 40,000, cP

The proposed GF-7 upgrade includes tightening the limits of the Sequence VIE, IIIH, X, and limiting the finished oil sulfated ash to 0.9wt% max. 

Other parameters include:

• The New Oil Gelation Procedure (Gelation Test, ASTM D6795 Modification) was introduced to address vehicle storage issues that led to the development of this bench test that is believed to correlate to engine oil gelation. After much discussion on the readiness of this test, the EOGT results will be Rate and Report if the EOGT test is available at the time the oil is ready to be licensed.

• For elastomers, four additional seals ACM-2, AEM-2, AEM-3, and FKM-3 were added to the existing list. 

With a finalized first licensing March 31, 2025, ILSAC GF-7 will officially replace the GF-6 category introduced in 2020. 

The development of GF-7 took place in parallel with several other industry initiatives either underway or under discussion, including:

• ILSAC is requesting industry support to replace Sequence V, VI, IX, and X test engines that will run out of parts by CY2028, setting the stage for the next ILSAC GF-8 category. 

• General Motors plans to release the fourth generation of its dexos® 1 standard in 2027. 

• The PC-12 initiative for heavy duty engines calls for two new oil categories for heavy-duty diesel engines by 2027.

• Recently, the API Lubricants Group ballot to include 0W-8 and 0W-12 viscosity grades under API SPwas completed. 

The industry is trying to integrate these moving parts to meet the lubrication demands of modern, fuel-efficient internal combustion engines. Together, these initiatives will require exhaustive resources, testing capacity, and, in some cases, new test regimens. 

After much deliberation, the decision to proceed with GF-7 is a breakthrough that will enable the industry to move forward with a new category. Chevron Oronite has been an active participant in industry discussions over the last several months, helping shape the parameters that have led to accelerated implementation of this category. It reiterates our position to support the timely implementation of the new category to help address the end-user and OEM needs while considering lubricant marketers’ expectations. 

As a global leader in passenger car motor oil additives, Oronite offers multiple solutions to support our customers in preparing for the timely implementation of GF-7-compliant lubricants.  Investments and testing to upgrade our current and proven GF-6 and dexos® 1 Gen 3 technologies to meet the ILSAC GF-7 requirements are complete. OLOA 55516 and OLOA 55600 technologies are now GF-7 capable. 

At Oronite, we continue to provide formulation versatility and flexibility of supply that is part of our strong legacy in the development of PCMO additives. The Next Generation ILSAC GF-7 solution is being developed to deliver improved fuel economy beyond the tightened GF-7 Seq VIE limits, and to deliver towards increased engine durability at competitive treat rates. 

Published: November 2023

Updated: May 2024