Idea for better fuel efficiency

Almost every safety feature and efficiency feature of modern cars has come from the racing world. Rear view mirrors, seat belts, safety glass. The list goes on and on. Even if you are not a fan of car racing, you owe them a debt of gratitude. They are the ones who are always pushing the envelope, trying new ideas to make their cars faster, more efficient, and safer.

Now that the days of cheap gasoline are over, why don't we take another idea from the racers and apply it to mainstream cars for everyone else? Why not take a serious look at Nitrous Oxide Systems (NOS)?

One of the biggest factors that goes into make a car purchasing decision is the issue of motor power, usually measured in kilowatts or horsepower. Obviously, having more power is good. But there is a costs to having that power. A more powerful motor is a less fuel efficient motor. So one must strike a balance between their need for power and their desire for costs efficiency.

For the last 15 years, fuel in the US has been relatively cheap. This allowed people to be able to afford to operate powerful motors, which in turn could drive larger automobiles such as SUV's, and tow a boat or load.

Now that fuel prices have jumped, people are now more sensitive to the operating costs of a motor. Now they have to give up excessive power capacity. They have to strike a balance between their power needs and the cost of providing that power.

So when one looks at a smaller engine, they naturally think of the worse case scenario. What if I need a lot of power quickly? What if there is a short freeway on-ramp? What if I need to pass a truck while going at 65 mph? Can this engine give me that? Will it give me WHAT I need WHEN I need it?

Here is where NOS comes in. NOS acts like adrenalin for your car. It give your motor a quick and sharp boost in power. Racers use it in short bursts when starting off to get them at top speed quickly.

You can't run your motor on NOS. It is just too expensive. And the size of a tank that would be too large. But when injected at high-demand moments, it can give you the boost you need.

Why don't the car companies start to implement NOS systems that kick in when the driver pushes the gas pedal to the floor? It will allow the owner to run a small, more fuel efficient, and less powerful motor, yet get the boost they need from time to time.

The owner will have to top off their NOS tank from time to time. The more the use it, the more it will cost them. It allows them to decide how to drive.