The Japanese Automobile Manufacturers Association (JAMA) aims to launch SAE OW-8 in April 2019.
The Association is responding to a time delay on the development of engine oil standards and increased demand to reduce emissions, including CO2 and pressure from Japanese manufacturers and OEMs for low viscosity lubricants.
Many Japanese ‘in-use’ vehicles are already capable of using low viscosity grades, such as 0W-20, 5W-20 and 5W-30, according to Satoshi Hirano of Toyota. Several Japanese OEMs (including Toyota, Nissan and Honda) have already introduced higher quality SAE 0W-16 products.
Hirano states the oil technology for SAE OW-8 is "almost ready" and that they "can make 0W-8 just by taking out the polymer.” The introduction of Group III base stock has enabled the new viscosity grade with Asian refineries become a major source and a cheaper alternative to synthetic base stocks such as poly alpha olefin (PAO).
Licencing of the SAE OW-8 products may have to wait until ILSAC GF-7 if the industry develops it through the current system, but this may not happen until 2023-24. To avoid these delays, JAMA has proposed the new low viscosity engine oil specification for the Japanese market first as a JASO specification with a candidate engine already selected.
Kazuo Yamamori of Toyota Motor Corporation, has also detailed the planned launch of a new JASO DL-0 Diesel Engine Oil standard.