For what is actually the world’s fourth largest oil and gas major (after Shell, Exxon Mobil and BP-Castrol) when taking into account the fuel and lubes sector for land and marine applications is concerned, the Total Group is one of the hottest players on the international motorsport scene. And for good measure because many of its formulations, blends and technology have been proven in the hot cauldron of top flight motor racing across many mediums – F1, MotoGP, World Endurance Championship, Dakar, World Rally Championship, etc.
Of course the one aspect to be factored in is that Total has owned the prestigious ELF brand that it acquired in 2002 in a strategic merger, which made it a colossus in its segment. Taking the ELF brand into account, one can say that the Total success in global motor racing has been huge and one could draw lineage from as far back as the late 1960s when Matra Team Tyrrell blazed to glory in F1. Since then, there have been 14 F1 Drivers’ titles and 13 F1 Constructors’ titles that either ELF or Total supported men and machines have been honoured with. Ditto has been the case in WRC as well with 11 Drivers’ crowns and nine Constructors’ crowns! Not many might be aware but a majority of F1 teams and also WEC teams use fuel specifically blended and brewed by Total and for a very long time the French Renault outfit has always been fuelled and lubed by its homegrown compatriot.
All this has helped to establish a truly global presence for Total, which is present in 130 countries, runs 16,023 fuel stations serving over four million customers every day. But there is even more when it comes to stats: it is the fourth largest lubricants firm globally with absolute leadership in Africa. It has 136 chemical and/or refining facilities spread across the world and it delivers 2,347 KBOE every day (KBOE stands for kilo barrels of oil equivalent) per day! A conservative estimate put out by the firm states that there are about 200 million cars that are lubed by Total products globally on the roads today.
However there is more to all this in a constantly changing usage matrix that the transportation world has been forced to revise, and revise constantly, going forward. To keep ahead of the ecological demands to improve the environment as regards clean air operations are concerned, as well as to enhance energy efficiency across the automotive scenario, motorsport included, Total has been on the ball. A major role in this is played by the strong research centres at Solaize and Gonfreville in France with another technical centre based at the firm’s manufacturing facility at Mhape in Mumbai! I was privy to some of the most modern technology and innovation at play at the Solaize Research Centre (CReS) outside of Lyon where a small but very dedicated band of scientists and technicians hammer away in the black art of new formulations and blends that help with energy efficiency and also enhancing durability. While Solaize works with the most exotic machinery and lab instruments, it was great to note that CReS played a major role in the development of the earliest F1 turbo engines – the Renault RS01 as well as the V10 and V12 naturally aspirated engines from the same maker. This legacy continues unchanged even in today’s F1 scenario with the Renault team. In fact, Total also helped with the development of Peugeot’s turbocharged V12 diesel engine for its WEC campaign in the 2008-2010 period while much work also happens with MotoGP engines at Gonfreville.
The Solaize centre along with its other two sister units works on over 1,200 new oils for engine, transmission and industrial applications. The Mhape unit is the tech centre for the entire Asia-Pacific region and it has delivered strongly by way of products that have found resonance globally.
In India, as ELF was the dominant partner and had also established a strong beachhead as far back as 1993, the task of enveloping ELF India in to the Total mainstream was initiated in early 2006. It was completed by 2008 and since then we have had ELF performing the role of the duo as far as the large motorcycle market is concerned with its ELF Moto range of lubes while Total Quartz serves the car segment. If that’s not all, the Rubia brand from Total is the flagship for the commercial vehicle segment and all three have been constantly updated and brought up to speed, going by the rapid onslaught of technology to keep pace with the automotive industry’s progress and consumer expectations. There is more to come though because both ELF and Total have kept a low profile preferring to let their products do the talking. With a slew of newer products in the pipeline, don’t expect the French major to remain an ELF (pun intended) but to make enough strides for Total coverage in the Indian car and bike market.