Saving gas: Device Designed to Deliver Better Fuel Economy

The concept of saving money while doing her part to prevent global warming appealed to Sherri Anderson, who was the first Massachusetts customer to have what's known as the Sabertec Blade installed on her car, a 1997 Honda.

Anderson commutes to work in Somerville from Framingham, and she swears she's getting better mileage after the device was installed on her car last October.

"I think I went from 25 miles per gallon to 31," she said. "I think the less gas you use, the better it is for the environment."

The Blade is an aftermarket product developed in Brazil that was designed to decrease emissions of air pollutants and increase fuel efficiency.

In Massachusetts, the product is sold at Ideal Engine Automotive Service in Somerville and Woodward's Auto Spring Shop in Brockton. It's also available online at sabertec.org.

"If all the cars and light duty trucks in the United States were to install the Blade, annual man-made carbon dioxide emissions would be reduced by more than 23 million metric tons," said Sabertec CEO and founder William O'Brien, whose company is based in Austin, Texas. "That's the equivalent of taking approximately 50 million passenger cars off the road."

The Blade affects a vehicle's catalytic converter, its oxygen sensor and its central processing unit, without requiring modification to the engine or other internal components. It is designed to increase the efficiency of the internal combustion process and decrease the amount of fuel burned.

"You get a lot of skeptics about the claims, but with my 27 years of experience, I've found there isn't any other product that can do what the Blade does to lower emissions and increase fuel economy," said Skip Hansen, manager of Ideal Automotive. "Universally, I've seen nothing but positive results."

Available in chrome and black, the $150 Blade fits easily onto most exhaust pipes. The filter turns a filthy black in 3,000 to 5,000 miles, and will need to be replaced. Filters sell for $20.

O'Brien said that drivers easily recover that money by saving gas.

Copyright 2007 The Patriot Ledger
Transmitted Wednesday, August 29, 2007