"Advanced Lubrication Specialties Highlights Independent-Led Innovation with Launch of Sunoco Ultra Full Synthetic Multi-Vehicle ATF
Advanced Lubrication Specialties (ALS) is announcing the introduction of Sunoco® Ultra Full Synthetic Multi-Vehicle Automatic Transmission Fluid, a new formulation designed to address the growing complexity of today’s passenger vehicle transmission landscape. The product underscores a broader reality in the lubricants industry: impactful innovation does not always originate from the largest integrated oil companies. Increasingly, distributor-led and independent blending organizations—closely aligned with end-user needs—are helping shape the next generation of lubricant solutions. In partnership with one of the nation’s premier additive suppliers, ALS brings this “first-to-market” technology forward, positioned to reduce ATF application complexity and help installers reduce inventory while avoiding costly fluid misapplication.
“Installers and distributors are being asked to support more transmission types than ever, and the cost of getting it wrong keeps rising,” said David Fenderson, Vice President of ALS’s executive management team. “Sunoco Ultra Full Synthetic Multi-Vehicle ATF is formulated to simplify the decision at the point of service—without compromising performance—so our installed customers can reduce the risk of misapplication and operate their business with fewer transmission fluids.”
Sunoco Ultra Full Synthetic Multi-Vehicle ATF is engineered to cover approximately 99% of non-commercial, non-dual-clutch automatic transmissions in the U.S. market, offering a single, high-performance solution for both continuously variable transmissions (CVTs) and traditional stepped automatic transmissions. This unified approach responds directly to the challenges faced by installers and distributors, who must service a rapidly expanding range of transmission designs while managing inventory complexity.
From a performance standpoint, the formulation delivers exceptional shear stability, a critical requirement for CVT applications where consistent steel-on-steel friction between belts or chains and variators is essential. At the same time, the fluid provides superior anti-shudder performance, enhanced wear protection, and robust hardware durability for stepped automatic transmissions, helping maintain smooth shifting and long-term transmission reliability.
“What makes this product different is the balanced performance across two very different transmission architectures,” said Gregg Thompson, Director of Technology, ALS. “ALS and our additive supplier focused on ATF shear stability for CVTs while also delivering anti-shudder performance and hardware protection for stepped automatics—allowing installers to inventory one premium fluid that confidently covers the vast majority of transmission applications.
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