Used Cars News

The unpleasant-smelling, steaming air that escapes from a car's tail-pipe could help us to use less gas. Researchers are trying to meet a challenge from the U.S. Department of Energy. The department challenged the researchers to improve fuel economy 10% by converting wasted exhaust heat into energy that can help power the vehicle. General Motors is close to reach the goal. Their research into thermo-electrics (the science of using temperature differences to create electricity) couldn't have come at a better time, as high gas prices speed up efforts to make vehicles as efficient as possible. GM researcher, Jihui Yang, said a metal-plated mechanism that surrounds an exhaust pipe, could increase fuel economy in a Chevrolet Suburban by about 5% (a 1-mile-per-gallon improvement!!! That would be even greater in a smaller vehicle. By reaching the goal of a 10% improvement would save more than 100 million gallons of fuel per year in GM vehicles (I mean in U.S. alone).

Labels: energy conversion, save gas