Tribology in Vehicles, 2nd Edition

A special issue of Lubricants (ISSN 2075-4442).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2026 | Viewed by 2179

Special Issue Editors


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Mechanical Engineering, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai 200093, China
Interests: structural dynamics; friction-induced vibrations and noise; vehicle NVH control; tribology; surface engineering; bio-inspired design; laser surface modification; functional surfaces for vehicles
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Engineering Department, Robinson College, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB3 9AN, UK
Interests: tribology; surface science; tribological design
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Mechanical Engineering, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
Interests: tribological interfaces in automotive and medical engineering; finite element analysis; impact mechanics; polymers and composites
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Mechanical Engineering, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai 200093, China
Interests: engine tribology; mixed lubrication; rough surface contact; surface texturing; numerical simulation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Tribology exists everywhere in the world and is becoming ever more critical as vehicles of all classes are required to be faster, quieter and more efficient. To meet the continuous increase in the severity of government regulations, new vehicles are required to have better performance in terms of energy saving, pollution, NVH (noise, vibration and harshness) and mechanical efficiency. Definitely hybrid vehicles (HEVs) and pure electric vehicles (EVs) will become dominate in the future. However, it is still the case that by 2040, vehicles equipped with internal combustion engines may well account for a significant proportion of the global annual sales of passenger and commercial vehicles; therefore, further work on the efficiencies of IC engines is still relevant. Combustion engines burning hydrogen may well find applications in off-road, heavy-duty or agricultural vehicles. Therefore, new tribological problems associated with these combustion engines are needed to be solved.

Although great achievements have been made on the energy efficiency and performance of batteries and electric powertrains, there is still much work to be carried out with regard to the design of novel motors, bearings, brushes/slip-ring assembly, brakes, transmissions, lubricants and lubrication systems in hybrid or pure electric vehicles including road, rail, air, and water vehicles (ships). In addition, the friction and wear problems associated with both road and rail vehicles, particularly high-speed trains—for example interactions between the tyre and the pavement or wheel and rail—continue to demand attention from tribologists and vehicle manufactures. Furthermore, vehicle pollution is closely related to tribological problems: not only engine emissions, but vehicle noise at both low and high frequencies, as well as braking and tyre particle generation; all of these problems require innovative solutions involving elements of tribology.

Encouraged by the Editorial Office of Lubricants, we are launching a Special Issue on “Tribology in Vehicles”, aiming to cover the latest developments concerned with the tribological and dynamical performance of all kinds of vehicles coupled with high speeds, high loads, novel materials, electrical drives and bio-inspired designs from both academic and industrial researchers working on vehicular tribological innovations. We hope that the contents of this Special Issue will comprise a wide variet of of multi-disciplined opportunities and challenges relating to vehicle tribology, which will be valuable to engineers and technologists developing efficient, green and reliable systems for modern vehicles of all classes.

Prof. Dr. Shuwen Wang
Prof. Dr. John Williams
Prof. Dr. David Charles Barton
Dr. Chunxing Gu
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Lubricants is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • friction and wear
  • lubrication
  • tire-road contacts
  • wheel-rail systems
  • braking systems
  • novel frictional surfaces
  • bio-inspired design
  • braking emission
  • frictional noise and vibration

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Related Special Issue

Published Papers (1 paper)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Review

34 pages, 1550 KB  
Review
A Comprehensive Review of Lubricant Behavior in Internal Combustion, Hybrid, and Electric Vehicles: Thermal Demands, Electrical Constraints, and Material Effects
by Subin Antony Jose, Erick Perez-Perez, Terrence D. Silva, Kaden Syme, Zane Westom, Aidan Willis and Pradeep L. Menezes
Lubricants 2026, 14(1), 14; https://doi.org/10.3390/lubricants14010014 - 28 Dec 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1856
Abstract
The global transition from internal combustion engines (ICEs) to hybrid (HEVs) and electric vehicles (EVs) is fundamentally reshaping lubricant design requirements, driven by evolving thermal demands, electrical constraints, and material compatibility challenges. Conventional ICE lubricants are primarily formulated to withstand high operating temperatures, [...] Read more.
The global transition from internal combustion engines (ICEs) to hybrid (HEVs) and electric vehicles (EVs) is fundamentally reshaping lubricant design requirements, driven by evolving thermal demands, electrical constraints, and material compatibility challenges. Conventional ICE lubricants are primarily formulated to withstand high operating temperatures, mechanical stresses, and combustion-derived contaminants through established additive chemistries such as zinc dialkyldithiophosphate (ZDDP), with thermal stability and wear protection as dominant considerations. In contrast, HEV lubricants must accommodate frequent start–stop operation, pronounced thermal cycling, and fuel dilution while maintaining performance across coupled mechanical and electrical subsystems. EV lubricants represent a paradigm shift, where requirements extend beyond tribological protection to include electrical insulation and conductivity control, thermal management of electric motors and battery systems, and compatibility with copper windings, polymers, elastomers, and advanced coatings, alongside mitigation of noise, vibration, and harshness (NVH). This review critically examines lubricant behavior, formulation strategies, and performance requirements across ICE, HEV, and EV powertrains, with specific emphasis on heat transfer, electrical performance, and lubricant–material interactions, covering mineral, synthetic, and bio-based fluids. Additionally, regulatory drivers, sustainability considerations, and emerging innovations such as nano-additives, multifunctional and smart lubricants, and AI-assisted formulation are discussed. By integrating recent research into industrial practice, this work highlights the increasingly interdisciplinary role of tribology in enabling efficient, durable, and sustainable mobility for next-generation automotive systems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Tribology in Vehicles, 2nd Edition)
Show Figures

Figure 1

Back to TopTop