Professional Car Drivers’ Attitudes toward Technical, Marketing and Environmental Characteristics of Engine Oils: A Survey Study

Abstract

The aim of the article was to analyze the decision-making process of professional drivers regarding the choice of new engine oil with additional attention to the eco-friendliness aspect of the product. Survey data were collected from Polish consumers, using a self-administered questionnaire. The main data analysis tools used in the study were finite mixture models. It was found that professional drivers do not constitute a single homogenous group. They cluster into two segments with differing importance profiles. The largest consumer segment, over 80% of consumers, consider the quality classification, viscosity classification, and OEM specifications as the most important criteria during the decision-making process. The importance of oil being environmentally friendly is a factor moderately differentiating the subgroups. In the first segment, a strong preference for engine oil with the same technical parameters as the previously purchased one, but additionally marked as environmentally friendly, was indicated by 29% of the respondents, whereas in the second segment by only 15%. The analysis of the consumer decision-making process showed that there is a need to put additional efforts to provide easily accessible and clearly visible technical specifications on the product label. The vast majority of professional drivers surveyed were mainly guided by such specific data in their purchasing process. Engine oils and specially used engine oils belong to a group of products that are considered to have a major negative impact on the environment. As a result, more research is needed into the sustainability of this class of products. The shift into the eco-friendly production, exploitation and subsequent management of engine oils may cause a profound effect on petroleum energy markets.

Effect of Mishandling and Vending of Used Engine Oil on the Environment, Health and Urban Planning in Kaduna Metropolis: A Call to Action for a Paradigm Shift

“…Selling to end users was primarily the purpose of the business, yet a significant volume of the UEO ends up in the surrounding environment because some vendors used it as dust suppressants and most times accidentally disposed of directly on land due to spilling or leaking from vehicles or storage facilities as some of the containers were observably weak and had a tendency of leaking (Plates 1 and 2). Similar circumstances were observed in Poland [13] , Ghana [28] , and Burkina Faso [7] . The studies observed that storing UEO creates a fire or environmental hazard.…”

“…It also depletes the ozone layer, increasing the climate crisis, negative effects on biodiversity and ecosystem, as well as human health. The UEO could eventually even make its way into waterways, contaminating them as well, thus posing a risk to aquatic organisms [13] . Epidemiological studies confirmed that human beings are at risk of exposure to toxic chemicals and heavy metals through direct contact with or consumption of contaminated food (vegetables, animals etc.)…”