Ask The Author:

Q:  I've heard about claims of inventions that can give cars 80 or 100 mpg.  Did all the car companies buy them up to keep mileage down so they can sell a lot of gas?   --Anonymous

Answer:  Most all of these claims have to do with carburetors or fuel injection systems that vaporize the gas before it goes into the combustion chamber to be burned.  Most every engine in existence only atomizes the gas, meaning they inject fine droplets into the engines.  In theory, turning the fuel to vapor exposes more of the gasoline molecules to the oxidation process.  I'll explain:  Get two red and white after-dinner restaurant mints.  You only have 2 seconds to finish it.  Put one in your mouth whole and enjoy as much as you can in two seconds.  Next, crush the other one into a fine powder and put that into your mouth.  Which case allowed you to taste the most peppermint?  Clearly the last one.  In a short amount of time, all the peppermint got dissolved, leaving none to waste.  Same with the vapor fuel inventions.  The problem with these devices is that they have trouble over time staying clean because making vapor is difficult and on a tiny scale.  Clogging due to impurities affects their efficiency.  Also, the wide range of driving conditions and temperatures can affect their performance.  As for 80 or 100 mpg, I have a hard time believing that, because no matter how thoroughly you vaporize gas, there still must be, chemically, 14.7 pounds of air per pound of gas burned.  The math doesnt care if its liquid or vapor gasoline.  A determined engine manufacturer with fuel mileage as one of his main goals could get much more than 40 mpg by designing the engine right.  As for whether or not the car and oil companies bought this technology and suppressed it.  I have no information on that.  Although it makes sense for automakers to constantly gather information that they can use to improve their products or their business, well have to wait for a testimonial on this to enlighten us.

Share Your Experience:

Testimonial #1, from Anonymous in Arlington, VA, USA.  In 1994, my neighbor in California bought a brand new Nissan Altima, with an automatic transmission.  They only came with one engine, a 2.4L 4-cylinder engine.  My neighbor tracked her mileage and the car only got about 25 mpg on the highway, less than my 1988 Camaro with a 5.0L engine.  I was amazed that a lighter, smaller, more aerodynamic car with an engine half the size of mine got worse mileage.