{"id":1902,"date":"2025-12-23T13:37:08","date_gmt":"2025-12-23T13:37:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/skinlabhk.com\/index.php\/2025\/12\/23\/what-is-re-refined-engine-oil-inside-motuls-ngen-core-tech\/"},"modified":"2025-12-23T13:37:08","modified_gmt":"2025-12-23T13:37:08","slug":"what-is-re-refined-engine-oil-inside-motuls-ngen-core-tech","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/skinlabhk.com\/index.php\/2025\/12\/23\/what-is-re-refined-engine-oil-inside-motuls-ngen-core-tech\/","title":{"rendered":"What Is Re-Refined Engine Oil? Inside Motul\u2019s NGEN Core Tech"},"content":{"rendered":"
If you\u2019re hearing about re-refined engine oil and instantly picturing someone filtering old sump sludge through a sock, it\u2019s time for an update.<\/strong><\/p>\n Re-refined engine oil is the next big shift in lubrication tech, and Motul\u2019s <\/a>NGEN <\/a>Core system is right at the sharp end. For UK enthusiasts who care about performance and<\/em> the planet, understanding how re-refined engine oil works is rapidly becoming just as important as knowing your ACEA <\/a>and API <\/a>specs.<\/p>\n Motul <\/a>has already rolled out NGEN products in both motorcycle (NGEN 5<\/a>, NGEN 7<\/a>) and automotive applications (NGEN 6<\/a>, NGEN 4<\/a> and NGEN Hybrid<\/a>), using regenerated base stocks rather than entirely virgin crude. Now it\u2019s formalised that approach under the NGEN Core label, which will gradually extend across Motul\u2019s ranges. Think of it as a new backbone technology: circular, low-carbon, but still built to cope with modern engines, turbos and long service intervals.<\/p>\n At its simplest, re-refined engine oil is lubricant made from used engine oil that\u2019s been heavily processed back into high-quality base oil, then blended with fresh additives to meet the same standards as conventional premium lubricants.<\/p>\n Used oil from garages, dealers and waste contractors is collected and treated as a valuable raw material rather than hazardous waste to be burned or dumped. In the UK, waste oil is classified as hazardous<\/a>, so it has to be dealt with under strict rules \u2013 that\u2019s one reason re-refining is attractive; it turns a disposal headache into a circular resource.<\/p>\n The key difference versus the \u201cold school\u201d idea of recycled oil is this:<\/p>\n Motul calls these re-refined base oils “RRBO\u201d and uses them as the foundation of NGEN Core products.<\/p>\n So what actually happens between the waste drum and the bottle of NGEN on the shelf? While Motul doesn\u2019t publish the exact recipe, the process it describes looks roughly like this:<\/p>\n As Motul\u2019s UK and Ireland boss, Andy Wait, points out in the brand\u2019s sustainability briefing, this is \u201ca complex multi-stage process\u2026 certainly not simply \u2018recycled oil\u2019\u201d.<\/p>\n Short answer: it has to \u2013 or it doesn\u2019t get to market.<\/p>\n NGEN Core lubricants are formulated to meet up-to-date standards such as API SP, which is designed to tackle low-speed pre-ignition (LSPI), protect timing chains and cope with modern, highly stressed downsized petrol engines. The API SP standard is also backwards compatible with previous revisions. So, NGEN oils that meet the latest API SP standard, are also safe to use on any older vehicles with previous API requirements.<\/p>\n On the European side, passenger car lubricants must align with the ACEA Oil Sequences<\/a> (e.g. ACEA C3, C5, C6) that spell out minimum performance levels for fuel economy, aftertreatment compatibility and long-drain stability.<\/p>\n Motul states that NGEN Core products are tested under extreme conditions and have demonstrated \u201cuncompromising performance\u201d, while the RRBOs themselves offer purity and performance at least equal to virgin base oils. If Motul\u2019s technical data sheet for a specific NGEN grade confirms API\/ACEA claims, those are the numbers you should rely on \u2013 and if it doesn\u2019t, treat any unverified claims as marketing, not engineering.<\/p>\n Take a modern turbo three-cylinder \u2013 for instance a Toyota GR Yaris<\/a> \u2013 running on a low-viscosity 0W-20 or 5W-30 oil that meets the API and ILSAC specifications listed in its handbook. If a Motul NGEN passenger car oil (such as NGEN Hybrid or NGEN 6) is blended to the same API\/ILSAC level and correct viscosity, and Toyota allows oils to be chosen on that basis, then from the engine\u2019s point of view it\u2019s seeing the same level of protection, just with a different carbon story behind it. Exact fitment still depends on the specific NGEN product data sheet and Toyota\u2019s recommendations, so always cross-check the API\/ILSAC profile and viscosity against both the handbook and Motul\u2019s technical data before making the switch.<\/p>\n It’s not just engine oils that benefit from thsi technology, either. Motul has already launched a re-refined transmission oil (NGEN ATF VI<\/a>) that is also produced from RRBOs. From a UK perspective, there are three big reasons to care about re-refined engine oil.<\/p>\n When you throw in UK clean-air zones and rising scrutiny around workshop waste, this shift isn\u2019t just nice-to-have \u2013 it\u2019s likely to become the norm.<\/p>\n Motul first introduced circularity into its ranges in 2023 with NGEN 5 and NGEN 7 for bikes, followed by NGEN 6, NGEN 4 and NGEN Hybrid on the automotive side. NGEN Core is the umbrella technology label that now covers all Motul products formulated with these re-refined base oils, with motorcycle MCO 4T lines (5100, 5000, 3000) due to be among the first to adopt the new branding from 2026.<\/p>\n Motul describes NGEN Core as \u201cmaking sustainability a natural dimension of performance\u201d \u2013 a neat way of saying that the brand expects you not<\/em> to give up power, protection or drain intervals in exchange for greener credentials.<\/p>\n From here the plan is to extend NGEN Core across passenger car motor oils and beyond. For Fast Car followers, that\u2019s where things get really interesting, which is exactly what we dig into in our follow-up guide on re-refined engine oil for performance cars<\/strong>. We also look at how fuel and oil additives can complement NGEN when we ask ‘Can additives save money?<\/strong>‘<\/p>\n Re-refined engine oil isn\u2019t a budget compromise; in the case of Motul\u2019s NGEN Core, it\u2019s a fully engineered base stock that\u2019s been through more lab work than most engines will ever see. Provided a specific NGEN product meets the API, ACEA and OEM specs listed in your handbook \u2013 and that\u2019s always your first port of call \u2013 it should behave just like any high-quality synthetic, with the bonus of a significantly lower embedded carbon footprint.<\/p>\n The real test is fit-for-purpose, and that\u2019s what we tackle next: how re-refined oils stack up when you throw boost, track days and tuning into the mix. <\/p>\n The post What Is Re-Refined Engine Oil? Inside Motul\u2019s NGEN Core Tech<\/a> appeared first on Fast Car<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Re-refined engine oil is changing the game. We explain how Motul\u2019s NGEN Core works, its benefits, and what it means for UK drivers and enthusiasts.
<\/figure>\nWhat is re-refined engine oil?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\n
<\/figure>\nHow waste oil becomes NGEN base stock<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\n
Used oil is collected, bulked and screened to remove obvious contaminants (coolant, fuel, water, loose solids). Anything completely unsuitable is rejected at this point.<\/li>\n
Water and light volatiles are boiled off in controlled conditions. Sludgy heavy residues\u2014metal particles, oxidised material, degraded additives\u2014are separated out.<\/li>\n
Under vacuum, the oil is distilled into different fractions, just like base oils produced from crude. This is where old additive chemistry and much of the \u201cused\u201d character is stripped out. Motul explicitly references vacuum distillation as a core step in its NGEN Core process.<\/li>\n
The distilled fraction is treated with hydrogen under pressure and high temperature. This saturates the hydrocarbon chains, removes remaining sulphur and nitrogen, and drastically improves colour and stability. Again, Motul highlights hydrotreatment as a key technique in its RRBO production.<\/li>\n
The resulting base oil is tested against the same criteria as virgin stocks \u2013 viscosity index, volatility, oxidation stability and so on \u2013 and sorted into families suitable for different viscosity grades.<\/li>\n
Only at this point does it start to look like the oil you buy. Fresh additive packages are blended in to meet targeted API, ACEA and OEM performance levels.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\nDoes re-refined engine oil perform like \u201cnormal\u201d oil?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
<\/figure>\nReal-world example:<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Why re-refined engine oil matters in the UK<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\n
Motul reports that RRBO-based products reduce carbon emissions by around 40% versus comparable products using only virgin base oils. That\u2019s a serious gain, especially when you multiply it across fleets and long ownership cycles.<\/li>\n
Waste oil is hazardous and must be treated accordingly, but high-quality re-refining keeps more of that carbon in useful circulation rather than burning it as low-grade fuel.<\/li>\n
NGEN Core is supplied in bottles using 50% post-consumer recycled plastic, with a stated aim of reaching 75% PCR by 2027. That\u2019s another chunk of environmental impact taken out of the loop without you having to change how you pour a bottle.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
<\/figure>\nWhere Motul NGEN fits into the picture<\/strong><\/h2>\n
<\/figure>\nBottom line: is re-refined engine oil \u201csafe\u201d for enthusiasts?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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