According to a July study by Frost Sullivan, a growth consulting firm in the United States, it is expected that the European automotive lubricant additive market will grow from 437000 tons in 2010 to 467000 tons in 2017, with a compound annual growth rate of 1.0%. At the same time, market sales will increase from 900 million euros in 2010 to 1.25 billion euros in 2017, reaching a compound annual growth rate of around 4.7%.

The European automotive lubricant additive market is mainly divided into two parts: sedan engine oil (PCMO) additives and heavy-duty diesel (HDDO) additives. According to Frost Sullivan's research, it is expected that the market for car engine oil additives will grow from 195000 tons in 2010 to around 204000 tons in 2017, with a compound annual growth rate of around 0.7%; The sales revenue will increase from 420 million euros in 2010 to 570 million euros in 2017, with an average annual growth rate of about 4.5%. The heavy-duty diesel additive market will grow from 242000 tons in 2010 to 263000 tons in 2017, with an average annual growth rate of 1.2%; The sales revenue will increase from 480 million euros in 2010 to 680 million euros in 2017, with an average annual growth rate of about 4.9%.

According to research by Frost&Sullivan, the European automotive lubricant additive market was driven by multiple favorable factors from 2010 to 2017. Firstly, low-carbon emission regulations have attracted widespread attention to the fuel efficiency of automobiles, driving demand for automotive lubricant additives. From 2012 to 2015, the new emission penalty system will be gradually implemented. If the emission of carbon dioxide exceeds 130 grams per kilometer, the vehicle will be fined 5-95 euros per gram of carbon dioxide emissions. Secondly, in the past 50 years, the oil change cycle of European cars has increased from 1500 kilometers to over 30000 kilometers. The combination of a series of lubricant additives and new formulated lubricants can effectively reduce fuel consumption and extend oil change intervals. Thirdly, the miniaturization of automotive engines imposes stricter requirements on their working environment, resulting in higher requirements for automotive lubricants and additives. Fourthly, in order to reduce the release of harmful gases into the environment, automotive original equipment manufacturers have introduced new engines and new post-treatment systems, such as diesel particulate filters, indirectly improving the processing rate of finished lubricants for harmful gas emissions.

Although the driving force is strong, its market resistance cannot be underestimated. On the one hand, strict testing procedures and the development of additives have led to increased costs. In order to meet the constantly evolving requirements of engine design and performance, manufacturers need to continuously develop new types of automotive lubricants. However, lubricating oil requires a significant amount of capital from the development stage to the final marketing stage. For example, the development cost of engine operation testing suitable for lubricating oils in diesel and gasoline engines in Europe today is at least 1.5 million euros. In addition to engine running tests, manufacturers also need to conduct extensive on-site testing on vehicles to ensure their product performance. At the same time, the development of a single type of automotive lubricant additive requires approximately 1 to 10 million euros, and with manufacturing costs added, manufacturers may need 10 to 15 years to recover costs. On the other hand, European car sales have grown slowly. In 2008, the Western European automotive market sold approximately 154000 passenger vehicles, compared to 150000 in 2009, a year-on-year decrease of 2.5%.

In the future, the economic recovery of EU countries will have a positive impact on the sales of automotive lubricant additives, increasing their sales and revenue. At the same time, in order to transition from low-end base oils to high-end products, automotive lubricant additive manufacturers are constantly experimenting to find new formulas to improve the lubrication performance of products, which will be beneficial for the long-term development of the lubricant additive market.