New oil could save 2.8 bil gallons of gas

New CAFE standards are keeping auto companies extremely interested in any technology that will increase efficiency. Already GM has stopped developing its new V8 engine, and most car companies are slowing production of rear-wheel drive vehicles, because they're slightly less efficient.

So they should also be excited about a new kind of motor oil that Mobil says will increase the efficiency of cars by up to 2%.

Now, really, 2% isn't all that much. Possibly not enough to get car companies interested, but, multiplied by the 1 trillion miles that our 21 mpg vehicle fleet travels yearly, that's about 2.8 billion gallons of gas -- or nearly $9 billion dollars -- saved per year.

The new lightweight motor oil spreads around the engine more quickly, reducing friction on start-up, and the oil pump doesn't have to work as hard moving it around.

The problem with the claim of 2% savings is that it's very difficult to quantify. Two percent of efficiency can easily be gained or lost depending on which way the wind is blowing or what kind of road you're driving on.

But for those of us who'll do anything to pick up a couple miles per gallon, we should definitely ask if they have any 0W-20 or 0W-30 "Advanced Fuel Economy" next time we're at the Jiffy Lube. According to Mobil, the fuel savings should offset the cost of the slightly more expensive oil anyhow.

Via EcoModder