electric cars on the way quimica chemistry

With electric cars on the way, you'd think a certain amount of panic gripping the motor oil divisions of big oil companies. With no pistons going up and down, there's less to lubricate.

At Shell, which has the Pennzoil brand and others, the auto industry's search for cleaner, more fuel-conserving technologies is seen as a positive. For one thing, the switch to electrics is going to take a long time so there's time to prepare. Second, there's fuel-saving changes going on near-term that could make some money for Shell, says Lisa Davis, president of Shell Lubricants Americas.

For one thing, any new-age energy saving device that rotates, turns or spins is going to need grease. Think windmills. For another, automakers are demanding new kinds of lubricants as their high-tech fuel-saving efforts evolve, such as Toyota:

Toyota is starting to recommend lighter lubrication in some models -- oil that feels as thin as water. The grade is called SAE 0W-20 and it's used in the latest classification for low-polluting cars, Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle II (ULEVII). Shell plans to offer the new grade in a synthetic oil.

"It's really an opportunity for the industry and Shell is uniquely positioned" to take advantage of it, says Luis Guimaraes, vice president of marketing.

Photo of Mitsubishi electric MiEV crossover concept at the Tokyo Motor Show, by Junji Kurokawa, AP