ABU DHABI // A UK company is keen to introduce a fuel-saving device to the UAE to help motorists cut fuel consumption.
Fuel prices in the UAE have been deregulated since August and a new pricing policy linked to global prices was adopted.
“The way that we see it is regardless of how much your fuel costs, you budget for it,” said Callum Smith, chief marketing officer at Nyasa Technologies.
Nyasa’s eco-drive fuel saving device can be fitted into all kinds of petrol or diesel tanks.
“The unit looks like a USB stick and it’s chrome, metallic and perforated, and within the perforations are small ceramic balls,” Mr Smith said. “These are designed so that when they get in touch with the fuel they resonate. They break the bonds between the fuel molecules.”
The eco-drive will allow the fuel and air to mix better, cutting carbon dioxide and increasing fuel efficiency, he said.
“The goal of the product is to make your vehicle more efficient,” he said. “Having your car more efficient means you get more out of the fuel that it uses.”
The device is still a way off for the UAE though, as the company has to check Government requirements.
Motoring experts said there were other ways to improve fuel efficiency.
“Steady travel speeds without extreme acceleration and less use of your air-conditioning can save fuel,” said Glenn Havinoviski, associate vice president of the US traffic management company Iteris, which opened an Abu Dhabi office in 2011.
“Hot temperatures in the Gulf region have an impact on fuel mileage, particularly because not using air conditioning is not really a viable option for most people.”
Fuel consumption is related to the attitude of the driver, said Simon Labbett, director of Transport Research Laboratory UAE.
“Drivers can be trained to be safer and more fuel-efficient,” he said. “These skills are related to observational skills and awareness of their vehicle and surroundings.”
“Fuel-side” devices, which are used to boost mileage, have been developed but are not yet proven, either by government or automotive industry entities, as alternatives to “engine-side” technologies that aim to improve engine efficiency, Mr Havinoviski said.
rruiz@thenational.ae
