It was exactly one year ago that I installed the Blade on my car. From the beginning I have logged my fuel economy per tank on my Blade Mileage Tracker. Excluding some individual mileage tests (mostly short highway runs of about 100 miles) I have used 40 tanks of gas, and driven over 10,000 miles. My average mileage per tank during this whole time was 31.7 MPG. The EPA fuel economy rating for my car is 30 combined. My best tank was 38.9 and the worst came in at 26.6. I did notice a decrease in mileage over the winter, as any car would. Also, it could be that since my cartridge needs to be replaced now, that it lost some of its effectiveness in the last few weeks. This could explain the slightly lower results for spring of this year compared to last.

Now, what everyone wants to see is similar mileage tracking on the car with NO Blade. Well, now you shall have it! Much to my reluctance (since I am not one to consciously increase pollution), I will remove the Blade from my car and keep track of the mileage just as I did before. Let’s see what happens!

Three months ago, I installed a device on my car called the Blade which reduces emissions and is supposed to improve fuel economy. You can read about the installation here. First and foremost, the Blade is primarily an emissions-capturing device. As I have discussed before, this it does remarkably well as certified by this independent lab. Second, the Blade is reported to have a side benefit of improving gas mileage. Everyone wants to know “does it work?” I believe that it Read the rest of this entry »

Every time she sees a Smart Car, my wife lets out an adorable exclamation, “Smart Car! Smart Car!” Beyond just being a cute expression for my amusement, these words sum up a feeling of exuberance that many share upon seeing this car on US soil for the first, second, or even third time. Finally, we have access to this great ride that Europeans have had for years. So how does the American version Read the rest of this entry »

Perhaps you saw Geico’s summer “Connection” newsletter which came out in June. As a big fan of all things Mini, I was displeased to see one of my favorite small cars, the Cooper, displayed under the headline, “Did Your Minicar Pass the Test?” The article states that the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety released its newest findings on several minicars, and that “safety concerns…are on the rise.” Furthermore, the article boldly warns readers “you may want to think again” if considering one of these cars for purchase. What is going on here? I decided to do some digging! Read the rest of this entry »

A few weeks ago at the Chicago Green Festival I bought a device for $110 (regularly $199) which is designed to cut emissions on your car exhaust and as a side benefit improve gas mileage in many vehicles. It is called The Blade and is made by Read the rest of this entry »