Chapter 6 : Gas Saving Devices and Products that can Work

So far the outlook for gas saving devices and products has been quite grim. The major vehicle manufacturers continue to try to develop something that can work in order to make their cars more appealing to consumers. Built in fuel savings can be accomplished not with gadgets but with attention given in the areas of the design of the vehicle as well as the engine.

This is because it is much easier to sale a vehicle when it has many features that consumers will be looking for. A great style of car on the outside, nice paint job, and stylish interior simply isn't enough anymore. It is important to note though that these big corporations with highly educated engineers haven't found the secret to significant gas savings methods.

If they were out there then they would be incorporating the design on these newer models of vehicles. That reality alone should really get consumers to wake up and see what has been taking place around them all this time. They need to stop paying for ineffective products that are being sold due to the need people have to really save some money on gas.

Sure there are some ideas that have worked out well to accomplish significant gas savings. There isn't any reason to fully discount everything across the board. The biggest issue though are that you can't implement them without spending far more money than you will ever save. The ends don't justify the means and so consumers are stuck right back where they started.

Here are some examples of ways you can save money on fuel costs but that are just too expensive to move forward with. There have been successful attempts to modify the calibration of the engine in some models of vehicles to save on fuel. However, this process has to be done by a certified mechanic.

The price tag is between $10,000 and $12,000 which is often more than the value of the vehicle for many individuals. You would need to keep that car for at least 12 years and be putting at least 1,500 miles on the vehicle per month during that span of time to get your investment back.

The amount of fuel savings isn't substantial enough to justify that type of investment in the vehicle. You won't be able to get a return on it because you won't save that much money in fuel over the course of the time you own that vehicle. Very few people keep a regularly used vehicle for that length of time. There is also the issue that if it is involved in an accident and can't be driven you are definitely out all the money you invested in this process.

It does have some value in our society though for those with a great deal of money to spend in order to use as little gas as possible. The process has been done to many professional vehicles though including semi trucks and race cars. When you consider a semi truck generally gets about 4-7 miles per gallon you really need to maximize the fuel efficiency.

In racing events every little bit of fuel you can reserve will give you an edge over the competition. For example the NASCAR drivers need to be able to evaluate when they will go in for fuel. Being able to go an extra lap over the competition can make the difference between coming in 5th and coming in 1st.

Most consumers are interested in the gas saving devices for their own personal vehicles though not those used commercially or for sporting events such as racing. There are a couple of devices you can have installed inside of your vehicle that do show a very small improvement. There are accessory driver modifiers which will periodically turn off devices including the air conditioning at certain times.

These can be effective if you have many accessories that will result in higher fuel costs. There are also censors that will notify you of behaviors you engage in that can increase your fuel consumption. For example if you need to shift to a lower gear or you need to reduce your speed.

This can be helpful if you want to make changes to your driving behaviors but you often need a reminder to assist you with it. You won't be as likely to continue slipping into those older modes of behavior because you will have a constant way to remember it while behind the wheel of the vehicle.

Again, both of these types of devices are extremely expensive to install. They can range from $7,000 to $15,000. There doesn't seem to be enough of a fuel savings to warrant installing them for most people.

Perhaps there will be future car models that offer them built in when you buy them. Even so, those models of cars are going to be more expensive than what is offered without them. The manufacturer of these vehicles is going to have to pass that cost on to the person who buys it.

What holds manufacturers back from doing so is that they need to have very competitive prices. There are too many different makes and models of vehicles that people can purchase. When price is a factor consumers aren't going to pay for higher priced vehicles and so they have to balance what is practical and profitable for them into that overall equation.

Based on this information, there doesn't seem to be and affordable gas saving devices out there that would really improve your gas mileage and cut back on your expenses in this area. It appears that if you want to make such changes you are going to have to take matters into your own hands.

Researchers may be on the right track though so one day it is possible that they will come up with something both effective and affordable for the average person to purchase. Of course that doesn't leave us with a very pretty picture right now does it?

Don't despair though as there are some things you can start doing right away to improve your gas mileage. They aren't gimmicks or crazy ideas that someone else is going to make money off of. They are realistic approaches that you can certainly see benefits from in a short span of time.

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