The situation appears to be mixed across the globe. Some routes have done well this week, and freight levels have recovered, but others have been quiet, which has put pressure on those rates.-by Adrian Brown

The number of hybrid electric and electrically chargeable vehicles is on the rise, particularly in the European Union, and this should begin to affect lubricant technology, an official from an additive supplier told an industry conference last week in Stuttgart, Germany.

Russian passenger cars and light commercial vehicles consumed 256,000 tons of motor oils in 2017, up 1.8 percent from 2016, according to a study that concluded demand was tamped down by increased use of synthetic oils and longer drain intervals.

The transport sector creates as much carbon dioxide as power generation, but faces far harsher punitive fines, said a representative from the European Automobile Manufacturers Association at the Uniti Mineral Oil Technology Congress here last week in Stuttgart, Germany.