It’s a new year, and to celebrate, Chevron’s Delo® engine oils have a new product lineup. After the past few years of product instability due to supply chain issues, Chevron has made a radical choice to pair down its Delo® heavy-duty engine oil line and remove conventional oils from its product lineup. Let’s dig into this momentous choice and figure out how it will affect your lubricant needs.
Chevron is getting rid of conventional heavy-duty engine oil
Starting this year, Chevron will no longer offer conventional engine oil in their HDEO product line, including the popular Delo® 400 SAE SDE 10W-30 and Delo SAE SDE 15W-40 engine oils. These products will be replaced by synthetic blend products, Delo® 400 XLE SB SAE15W-40. The previous product lineup was split into four basic categories:
- Conventional
- Synthetic Blend
- Synthetic Technology
- Synthetic
This category lineup could have been clearer for customers who found it difficult to differentiate between products. This is one of the main reasons Chevron is now simplifying its product lineup. According to Chevron, the change is necessary because “Over the past several years, unexpected factors converged to dictate the need to improve supply reliability, simplify choices for HDEO, address the increasing demand for synthetic oils, and meet increasing requests to enhance engine performance while reducing maintenance costs.” With the removal of conventional oil lubricants from their product lineup, the Delo lineup will now be split into two categories:
- Synthetic Blend (SynBlend)
- Synthetic
What is the main difference between the SynBlend and synthetic engine oil?
SynBlend oils still have some conventional oil base stocks in their chemical makeup, which usually means they’re less expensive but retain some of the benefits of synthetic engine oils. Synthetic engine oils do not contain conventional oil, which means they have better base oil components, offering more uniform performance, and they tend to last longer. Read our past blog to learn more about the benefits of synthetic engine oil!
As engine technology has improved over the past few years, more OEM manufacturers have required synthetic or synthetic blend engine oils for peak lubricant performance. This factor, combined with the supply chain issues that arose since the pandemic for conventional base oil stocks, has been the driving force behind the change at Chevron. Walt Collier, commercial sector manager for Delo® Engine Oils said, “Technology is moving away from the conventional space.” He says the shift to the two new product categories “promises three things: to improve product supply reliability; to competitively align pricing of synthetic blend and full synthetic, and to give customers the performance they expect from Delo® with no compromise.”
The benefits of the Delo® 400 XLE SB SAE 15W-40
The most significant change customers can expect from this shift is replacing the popular Delo® 400 SDE 15W-40 engine oil. The new product, the Delo® 400 XLE SB 15W-40, will be offered at the same price and is compatible with all engines that used the previous conventional Delo® engine oil. Some of the benefits users can expect from this product will include:
- ISOSYN advanced technology protection that meets the most recent emissions standards for on-highway applications
- Compatible with API service categories, including CK-4, CJ-4, CI-4 PLUS, CI-4, CH-4, SN, and other leading brands
- Extended drain performance
- Improved deposit control
- Better temperature pumpability
- Extended drain intervals
- Reduced operating costs
- Improved emissions control system life
- Reduced inventory costs
This Delo® Synblend product offers superior engine protection, and it will show users the value of this shift to synblend and synthetic products. Walt Collier says, “The updates will allow us to better meet our customers’ needs today and well into the future. By moving to a synthetic blend and synthetic-only portfolio of Delo HDEO products, our customers will continue to get the highest quality heavy-duty engine oils they’ve come to expect from Chevron, with an increased focus on supply reliability and price competitiveness.”
The new synblend and synthetic products like the Delo® 400 XLE SB SAE 15W-40 will still be packaged in the Chevron blue bottle with the same red cap. So, the look of your lubricant shelf layout won’t change when you switch to the new product. The only difference (besides the oil’s chemical makeup) will be a note reading “Replaces Delo® 400 SDE and XLE SAE 15W-40. No Compromises.”
How will Chevron’s Ursa® products be affected?
The Chevron Ursa® Super Plus EC lineup of heavy-duty engine oils is a cost-effective conventional oil. It is manufactured to meet the needs of mixed fleet heavy-duty engines and has been recently certified for API CK-4 category engines. This product is expected to remain available as Chevron’s ‘street fighter’ option, with no product availability issues to be expected other than the change to meet the latest OEM approvals. For users who still prefer a conventional base oil, this product will meet their needs. It’s formulated from high-quality, hydro-processed Group II base stocks to offer excellent lubricant protection as a conventional engine oil lubricant.
Have questions about the transition? We can help!
We know that this transition may be challenging to navigate. Even though it’s designed to simplify Chevron’s product offerings and make ordering your lubricant supplies easier, change is always challenging. Our team at Greg’s Petroleum is here to help. We can walk you through the new product offerings and lineups and help you seamlessly transition to the new synthetic and synblend products.
If you are concerned about how switching to synthetic or synblend products will affect your equipment, we offer an oil analysis program. Users of this program learn how to take samples from their equipment and then get data on how their lubricants are performing and personalized maintenance recommendations for their equipment based on the lab’s findings. If you sign up for this program, you will be able to see the effect the switch will have on your equipment over time. As your Chevron Lubricants Supplier, we’re confident you will see the superior protection offered by synthetic and synblend engine oil products from Chevron. If you’d like to start this program today while this transition is underway, contact a Greg’s Petroleum representative.