The Blade Makes More Fuel Economy Improvement, Emission Reductions Claims
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY 
on 12.12.08
photo: Sabertec
Last time TreeHugger wrote about the Blade from Sabertec there was, to put it mildly, some skepticism among our readership. Personally, I tend to agree with the general sentiment of many of the comments on that if something sounds to good to be true then it probably is. But since Sabertec releases keep coming through my inbox I figured it was worthwhile to pass one on, even if only to keep people updated on the latest pitches commonly perceived as snake oil.
Again, for entertainment purposes only, here are the latest emissions reductions, gas mileage improvement claims about the Blade:
Independent lab test results, released today, show that a new environmental technology, Blade, reduces CO2 emissions from automotive tailpipes by up to 12 percent and improves gas mileage by up to 12 percent. These results suggest that if every car and light-duty truck in the United States were equipped with Blade, the CO2 emissions reduction would be equivalent to removing approximately 15.5 million – or one in five – cars from the road.Tests were performed at the nation’s premier emissions testing lab, Automotive Testing and Development Services, Inc. (ATDS), the same lab used by top vehicle manufacturers for fuel economy and emissions testing, including Honda, Toyota, GM, Ford, Nissan, Mazda, Mitsubishi and Volvo. ATDS is accepted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and licensed by the California Air Resources Board (CARB).
"This is a significant achievement in comparison to other fuel saving devices that promise large fuel savings but have not shown any repeatable positive benefit in controlled testing,” said Linwood E. Farmer Jr., Vice President, ATDS. “Automotive manufacturers expend considerable effort to make improvements in fleet fuel economy in this range and the ability of Blade to provide this level of improvement in an aftermarket, consumer-installable device is remarkable."
The EPA 511 Protocol is the most rigorous test procedure in existence and the only one that the EPA considers statistically valid. The laboratory tested Blade on a fleet of vehicles – consisting of 4-cylinder, 6-cylinder and 8-cylinder passenger cars, an 8-cylinder van and a 4-cylinder hybrid vehicle – a combination of foreign and domestic. The results demonstrate verifiable and repeatable CO2 reduction and increased fuel economy.
So what were these results? Sabertec is claiming that of the five vehicles they tested (2004 Honda Civic, 2008 Hyundai Sonata, 2007 Ford E-250, 2008 Pontiac G6, and 2007 Toyota Prius) they average a 4% increase in fuel economy and about a 7% reduction in CO2 emissions.
More at: Blade Your Ride
Fuel Economy, Eco-Driving
2009 Fuel Economy Guide: Toyota Prius First, Lamborghini Muciélago Last
Honda’s All-New Honda Insight Hybrid: Fuel Economy Similar to Civic Hybrid
Eco-Driving—Unfeel to Need for Speed
We Already Own Eco-Machine - How to Use Your Car More Efficiently
Follow @TreeHugger on Twitter & get our headlines with @TH_rss!
Thirsty for more? Check out these related articles:
- Take it from a Beatle: Cut Your Carbon Footprint by Making Mondays Meat-Free
- We Love 5min.com for Simple DIY Solutions
- Why Do Some States Have Significantly Lower Carbon Emissions Than Others?
- Top 10 Things to Bring On Your Cross-Country Bus Trip
- Build a Greenhouse without Going Broke
- Quickly Calculate The Carbon of Your Flights
I watched the 14 minute video, and I am wondering why not have a pre-heat function on the catalytic converter BEFORE starting the engine. If cold start times are so bad, why have a cold start at all?
More quesitons - if you already have pretty well tuned exhaust, won't this knock it out of whack? I expect even American automakers have tweaked exhaust to a nicety, as its a great way to incrase CAFE numbers.
Next I expect these guys to market a windmill with an electric generator, that you put on top of your car to generate electricity when you're moving!
They seem to have major problems with math.
12% reduction (average across all cars) would be like removing 12% of the cars, not 20%.
Also, the results appear to indicate a 7% reduction, not 12%.
I second that... I have no idea what is correct, but being a sceptic I'm inlcined to think that it's the 4/7% figure at the end.
1) Up to 12% reduction of CO2 means nothing. Is that an average of -10%, but in one instance it was 12%? Without giving an average, they must be ,trying to hide the real numbers. Scam.
2) To get the equivalent of taking 1 in 5 cars off the road, you would need a reduction of 20%. Since they claim up to 12% than AT BEST they could take 1 in 8 off the road. Scam.
3) The EPA does not list any "accepted" products, and the CARB does not list the Blade under their exhaust modification list. Anyway, the EPA thinks BPA is safe for infants, so their credibility is concerning.
4) The results posted on Blade's website have many causes to question their testing methods and results.
a) 9 cars were tested, and not all showed an improvement during these tests.
b) The test was in highway driving conditions for only 11 miles.
c) The product is often faulty: "It was determined that some of the test units of The Blade were suffering from a premature failure of the interior “gauze” material due to a manufacturing defect. The gauze was charred severely and crumbled to the touch."
Well color me embarrassed! I guess the Nobel Prize is soon heading their way.
So why then does that "locked up in D-Block" song still keep lingering in my head?
:P
I just watched their slick little video. Three things:
(1) Higher exhaust pressure represents exhaust back-up. It doesn't increase engine efficiency.
(2) Engine acoustics (their "energy waves") do not contribute significantly to the flow rate of exhaust.
(3) Backsliding is a timing issue, and if you're really concerned about it, you should get the computer control dongle or get your car tuned.
Willy Bio,
Did you notice that last time they claimed something like 34% less pm, and now they claim up to 12% (results show around 12 on average). What do you think the next report will say?
:D
I'll trust it once the guys at Mythbusters put it through some tests that we can all watch.
There won't be a next report. These swine will be behind bars.
But don't you love cosmic justice? Just when these swine started pushing this scam, gas prices tumble and the economy tanks. Until they get locked up, they will be scrambling to move whatever inventory they have. Can you say "$20 gets you this slick tailpipe end filter gizmo"? HAHAHAHAHA!!! Sucking it down, swine!
:D