VLS celebrates 10 years at Automechanika

The Verification of Lubricant Specifications (VLS) was delighted to exhibit at Automechanika Birmingham this year, celebrating its tenth anniversary. Footfall at the stand was high, with lots of interest in the evolving lubricants industry and VLS’s role within it.

An independent membership body, VLS was formed in 2013 amid concerns that some lubricant products were being sold with claims that did not seem believable. Closer inspection found that sub-standard formulations were occasionally passed off as the latest specifications or even failed to perform effectively. The vast majority of lubricants sold in the UK market at the time were fully compliant. However, out of this concern, reputable lubricant blenders and manufacturers came together to launch VLS. 

Since then, VLS has investigated 87 different lubricant complaints from cold weather properties to compliance with industry standards and market regulations. The work is ongoing, with eight cases currently under review.

VLS unveiled a specially-commissioned white paper at the show, looking back on developments in both the lubricants industry and VLS over the past ten years. VLS Chairman Mike Bewsey, one of the founding Board members, spoke to visitors to the stand about the complex UK vehicle parc and the need to protect workshops and end users.

“The UK has one of the youngest and most complex vehicle parcs in the world. That complexity creates the need for a broader diversification of aftermarket products, including lubricants, and that complexity needs managing. VLS is here to support motor factors and workshops to give them confidence that the products that are supplying and using for customer vehicles are fit for purpose and can deliver what they claim.

We are confident that ten years after VLS was formed, the message around compliance is being heard. Lubricant blenders, manufacturers and distributors alike know that they will be held to account to ensure that lubricants are correctly described and can deliver what they claim. But as the industry evolves, a recent influx of cases shows that there is still work to be done to ensure an open and fair marketplace in which end users can have confidence. As the industry continues to evolve, our guidance will be more critical than ever in the years to come.”