Motul acquires a stake in GCK

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28/09/2023

After working together to explore innovative technological solutions in both companies’ fields of activity, Motul and GCK have decided to strengthen their ties with Motul’s entry into GCK’s capital.
This acquisition will enable the two groups to expand their collaboration through joint R&D and marketing operations.
The first manifestation of this new relationship will be joint participation at CES 2024 in Las Vegas, where GCK and Motul will present a Jeep Cherokee Chief equipped with a retrofitted hydrogen-powered H2 V8 engine for the American market.

Lempdes, Tuesday, September 26, 2023 – The collaboration between Motul and GCK takes on a new dimension. After forging a partnership around motorsport and jointly developing a new-generation immersed battery, the GCK group announces that Motul has become a shareholder.

Motul’s commitment is proof of its confidence in the project led by GCK, and of the two companies’ ability to work together on innovative technological solutions. Motul’s reputation and expertise in the development of fluids are a valuable contribution to the development of the project. GCK will also benefit from Motul’s global presence to accelerate its international deployment.

In 2022, the work undertaken by the two companies identified common themes such as battery performance. Motul has developed a highly specialized dielectric heat transfer fluid in which the entire battery designed by GCK Battery, a subsidiary of GCK, is immersed, helping to control heat build-up due to high-speed charging, while helping to prevent the spread of thermal runaway. The aim is to supply OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers) with batteries capable of ultra-fast recharging in under ten minutes.

The solution was tested on a bench, then in real-life conditions on the Charade circuit, with a unique and specific model of the Lancia Delta Evo-e, a legendary vehicle from the 80s World Rally Championship, brought up to date and retrofitted by GCK.

Eric Boudot, President of GCK (left) and Olivier Montange, President of the Management Board

As a partner in the Foenix H2 project launched by Solution F, another GCK subsidiary, during the centenary of the Le Mans 24 Hours last June, Motul has also decided to support GCK in the development of its hydrogen combustion engine. Indeed, this type of motorization requires a lubricant adapted to cope with the constraints induced by hydrogen combustion, such as the sensitivity to abnormal combustions accentuated with hydrogen, the risk of lubricant emulsification due to the greater production of water, and particulate emissions in the exhaust due to the lubricant.

The Foenix H2’s 6.2L V8 hydrogen internal combustion engine is currently integrated into a fully restomodded 1974 Jeep Cherokee Chief, which GCK and Motul will present at CES in Las Vegas from January 9 to 12, 2024. This vehicle will serve as a demonstrator enabling the two groups to explore the hydrogen retrofit market in the USA.

The immersion battery developed by Motul and GCK will also be on display at CES. The presence of these two technologies on their stand demonstrates the complementary nature of the two groups and their shared vision that there are many ways to accelerate the decarbonization of transport.

Éric Boudot, President of GCK, comments: “It is with great pride and joy that we welcome Motul as a shareholder in GCK. This strategic partnership will enable us to accelerate our development in terms of innovation and at international level. The presentation of this hydrogen-powered Jeep at CES will be an important event for our two groups, and proof of the synergies we can create together.”

Olivier Montange, President of the Management Board, comments: “Motul’s DNA has always been to accompany technological innovations and societal transformations linked to mobility. Diversification is at the heart of our “Regeneration 2030” strategic plan. It was only natural, after several months of working hand in hand on key subjects such as battery performance and hydrogen combustion, that we wanted to give even greater strength to our partnership with GCK and accelerate the development of technologies that contribute to the decarbonization of mobility.”