Because the price of gasoline and diesel have spiked to historic highs, fraudsters and criminals are seizing the opportunity to take your money.  They are capitalizing on your fear and greed to make claims like this:

BREAKING: “Big Oil” Wants To Make This Fuel Saving Device Illegal

…You can order this energy-efficient fuel-saving chip online, hook it up to your car, and save an average of 35 cents on every dollar you spend on gasoline because you’re burning less gas, your carbon footprint is also lowered. This way, you’re saving money while helping the environment.

How can we be so sure that gadgets like EcoPlus are garbage?  Mostly common sense.  It is no exaggeration to say that both automakers and governments around the globe are pushing the limits of technology every day.  Squeezing a 1% improvement in fuel economy is now considered a major accomplishment.  From better engines, decreasing weight, to better aerodynamics, there is nothing automakers will not do to improve fuel economy.

For example, skip to minute two on this short video to learn that the Society of Automotive Engineers (the SAE) top paper last year was titled:

Visualization of Pre-Chamber Combustion & Main Chamber Jets with a Narrow Throat Pre-Chamber

Just for a minute, imagine if the claims made by these eco-hucksters were true.  Do you think:

• GM, Ford and Mercedes would just shrug and let VW, Hyundai and Toyota buy or license the technology?
• Governments would smile and say, ‘that tech is not REQUIRED for our population’?
• Real news organizations, like the BBC, CBC and ABC would not have constant coverage?

Of course they would.  News organizations, Governments and autobuilders would be all over it, but they are not.

Like many after-market add-ons these products will at best do nothing and at worse cause serious problems.  You might ask ‘What problems have been reported with plug in OBD2 port plug-ins like the EcoPlus?:

• warranty cancellation
• damaged engine or emissions parts
• increased tailpipe emissions (i.e. more pollution)

Your spidey sense should be tingling when you read hype like:

…As one researcher put it, “I can’t believe this isn’t sold everywhere. It changes everything we know about how the combustion engine consumes gasoline. No wonder oil companies are trying to bury it.”

and

Currently, you can’t get the EcoPlus at any physical location. That’s because big oil companies launched a campaign immediately to take it off the shelves when they found out.

 

The manufacturer is working hard to keep it online right now, but we’re unsure how long that will last. While the chip isn’t outright banned, we don’t know how long it will stay available online. The good news is that it’s still for sale now, and you can get it at a discount!

These are just high pressure sales tactics to get you to act now.  If you think about this for any amount of time your brain will kick in and you will laugh off the ridiculous claims.

If you care about saving the planet, don’t buy products that will end up in the landfill.

If you care about fuel economy, buy a better vehicle, like a EV or a PHEV.

If you care about your money, don’t waste it on garbage eco gadgets.