The Blade: Easy Upgrade to Saves Money and the Earth?

9 by LiveOAK Staff on October 23, 2008

The Blade is a simple accessory anyone can install that is claimed to increase gas mileage up to 34% while reducing carbon emissions by 12% and total air pollution by 57%! Manufactured by Sabretec, the Blade slides over the end of your tail pipe and is touted to improve the efficiency of your catalytic converter as well as your engine's volumetric efficiency resulting in an increase in fuel efficiency.

According to Sabertec...

“If every car and light truck in American had a Blade, drivers would save over $42 billion per year, and the nation’s total greenhouse gas reduction would be equivalent to removing roughly 50 million cars from the road.”

The Blade also filters out particulate matter, a pollutant, that when inhaled pose a serous hazard to your health.

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I am skeptically psyched about this easy green upgrade. The potential for this to make significant impact is huge. It is only going to cost $199 and if you are able to up your fuel efficiency as much as they claim, depending on how much you drive, it will pay for itself in a matter of months. The benefit to the environment is clear, and by appealing to peoples environmental consciences, and their budgetary concerns it will appeal to a broad swath of the population.

The skepticism I have is whether or not it actually does improve gas milage. They say on their own website that "Sabertec can not say with absolute certainly how or why the Blade works," but they claim that the results are empirically proven. The fact of the matter is either it works or it doesn't and time will tell. We are going to try and get our hands on one to test it out and we'll report back to you. In the mean time we'd love to hear from anyone who is currently using one.

Dameon5

Cough! Cough! bull$#!+! Cough! Cough!
http://alex.com Alex

There is no way possible whatsoever this increases the Volumetric Effiency of an engine. This is a restriction, and will cause poor acceleration matched with poor gas mileage.

This is hilarious
http://www.ecotours.me Eco Tours

A few issues:

1.Changing the filters looks like a nasty job, one suited for someone with a hazmat outfit?

2. How much do the filters cost and how often do they need changed–this might cut away at any potential fuel savings.

3. I can see issue with back pressure causing engine problems.
http://ecomodder.com Benjamin Jones

As others have said, complete BS.
AJ

If it sounds too good to be true… it *IS* too good to be true.

This is 100% hucksterism. Save your money.
Tony

They’ve got some balls though….trying to charge $199 for this thing. I but it would work even better with some flames, or Kanji painted on it.
green

Ya to good to be true,

It can probably reduce emissions by slowing and heating the exhaust in the Cat. allowing more emissions to be taken out, however the cost of this would be decreased mileage and poor car performance based on back pressure. The filter at the end only acts like a sock, not removing Nox or Hydro-carbons or anything else that’s bad other then particulate matter.

All in all I would call up the EPA and have the guys at Blade have them run the test. Anyone can fudge independent lab results, even at EPA approved facilities but when the EPA does it at there facility they keep the numbers on point.

All the information saying it was an EPA certified lab means jack, the normal procedure is that you get independent testing first, then you send it to the EPA to test themselves. They have no test results yet from the EPA and try to sell it like they do because they performed an EPA test. Don’t waste your money on this garbage.
Santos

I’m not expert but I was under the impression that the more you restrict air flow the worse the mileage, but I’m open to anything. If any one actually tries it out I’d love to hear how it works.
jerry

AM REV,JERRY FROM UK AND I WILL LIKE TO ORDER SOME OF YOUR TAIL PIPE FOR MY NEW COMPANIES IN SOUTH AFRICAN AND I WILL LIKE TO KNOW THE TYPE YOU HAVE THERE NOW IN STOCK AND ALSO TELL ME THE TYPE OF MAJOR CREDIT CARD YOU DO ACCEPT AS YOUR PAYMENTS……REGARDS.
JERRY.