Gadgets
25 March 2010Foolstar?
Fuelstar’s “fuel saving” device, advertised and sold in New Zealand, has been found to be ineffective for petrol engines, according to an independent study in Australia.
Fuelstar claims its combustion catalysts, ranging in price from $30 to $500 for motorcycles and cars, reduce fuel consumption by up to 15 percent, reduce emissions, and can increase power output. But a study ordered by Western Australia's Department of Consumer Protection found none of these claims were true.
“The results of the testing showed that in petrol cars, there was no significant improvement in either fuel consumption or exhaust emissions, proving that this product is ineffective,” said a Consumer Protection spokesperson.
The department is investigating several other “fuel saving” devices and says that consumers should be sceptical about their claims of saving petrol or helping the environment – a sentiment shared by Consumer NZ.
Despite investigating these devices for many years, we have yet to see evidence that any after-market fuel saving device works – and for some products, have found evidence to the contrary.
Do you use "fuel saving" devices? Discuss your experiences below.
Comments
Good on you, Consumer. I can't believe that people are still being sucked in by the claims about these devices. Their science is bogus, their testimonies fake, their tests contrived. The makers should be charged with fraud. You are better off spending the money on getting your car tuned up and running efficiently. Good to see they are still pulling out the old story of the device helping the Hurricaine fighters in Russia, even though it was nearly 70 years ago, and was probably wartime propaganda even then. Pathetic.
So why, then, are these companies allowed to sell these devices? Is there not protection from the ASA or the Commerce Commission?
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