ExxonMobil introduced its Emission System
Protection (ESP) motor oil Mobil 1 ESP to the
US market about two years ago. It conforms
to the new
'ACEA C3' category of Low Emission products
recently introduced by the European
Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA),
as well as the existing ACEA A3, B3 and B4
categories.
The new ESP technology has received OEM
approvals from some of the world's leading
car manufacturers such as Mercedes Benz (MB),
BMW and Volkswagen (VW) Group.
But according to a number of lubricant marketers
that have contacted JobbersWorld over the past
year, there is one concerning
question about this product. That is, where
can you buy it, and what alternatives are
available that meet the relatively new
Mercedes 229.51 specification for 5W-40?
Based on the absence of the product in the
marketplace and ExMo's website (see link
below), they say the
answer is a troubling, "you can only get
5W-40 ESP
in the US at a Mercedes-Benz Dealership and
there are
few alternatives that meet spec. "
So why should this concern lubricant
marketers, fast lube operators, and others in
the business? In the
words of some, maybe because "it suggests ExMo
has decided to make auto dealers the
exclusive marketers of this product."
Secondly, they say, "are quick lubes now
excluded from
changing oil in 2006+ Mercedes unless
they buy oil from a Mercedes dealer?" And
finally, they ask, "is
is this a harbinger of things
to come?"
Let us know what you think. We plan to
publish comments in the next issue of
JobbersWorld Online News briefs.