Fuel Freedom International

Last updated

Fuel Freedom International
Industry multi-level marketing
Headquarters
OwnersWendy Lewis, Randy Ray
Website www.myffi.biz   OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg

Fuel Freedom International is a multi-level marketing company based in Altamonte Springs, Florida and co-owned by Wendy Lewis and Randy Ray. It sells pills trademarked as MPG-CAPS, which are claimed to improve fuel economy, reduce emissions and increase engine power when used as a gasoline additive.[ citation needed ]

Contents

The company says that the product was "originally developed by NASA for the 1970s space shuttle program", [1] although no documentary evidence is offered to support this claim.

EPA registration

The product is EPA registered per 40 CFR 79.23 - a requirement for all gasoline additives sold in the US. Registration involves providing a chemical description of the product and certain technical, marketing and health-effects information. [2] The EPA did not test the claims of increased engine power and reduced emissions, and does not endorse, certify or approve the product. The company report attached to the EPA report (EPA Internal identification number 218820001) "provides technical documentation for this product as a lead replacement in gasoline for use in engines susceptible to valve seat recession". [3]

Distribution

The company retails MPG-CAPS directly or through multi-level marketing via "independent distributors". To become a distributor there is an initial buy-in and an emphasis on the necessity of recruiting other people in order to receive commissions. This follows the structure of multi-level marketing, although there are recruiting bonuses after three retail sales a month as an incentive to grow the sales force, the majority of the cash-flow is said to be generated by commissions on sales.[ citation needed ]

Independent testing

An example of a recognised independent testing program to "evaluate aftermarket retrofit devices which claim to improve automotive fuel economy and/or reduce exhaust emissions" [4] is that run by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) identified by test program authorities 42 USC 7525 and 49 USC 32918, and formerly known as the "511 Program". The EPA requires a formal statement that the test laboratory "shall have no financial interests in the outcome of these tests other than the fee charged for each test performed". The Federal Test Procedure comprises a simulated city drive trace, and a simulated highway drive test. The tests are conducted in triplicate using two different vehicles. The vehicles should be from two different manufacturers and should be examples of the largest selling engine/transmission combinations on the US market. Tests are conducted in a "back-to-back" fashion. In the case of fuel additives that don't require an engine retune, then triplicate tests with and without the additive are required. The tests on MPG-Caps do not apparently conform to this standard. Examples of such tests are:

A critical appraisal of some test results was conducted by the website www.fuelsaving.info, [6] which notes that the MPG-Caps were originally designed to allow older engines to run on unleaded gas without valve recession and much of the fuel economy data presented is based on older vehicles. The very slight improvement in octane rating claimed might make an engine poorly tuned to the fuel it is run on perform better, especially in older vehicles without engine management computers.

Related Research Articles

Hybrid vehicle Vehicle using two or more power sources

A hybrid vehicle uses two or more distinct types of power, such as submarines that use diesel when surfaced and batteries when submerged. Other means to store energy include pressurized fluid in hydraulic hybrids.

Avgas Aviation fuel

Avgas is an aviation fuel used in spark-ignited internal-combustion engines to propel aircraft. Avgas is distinguished from mogas, which is the everyday gasoline used in motor vehicles and some light aircraft. Unlike mogas, which has been formulated since the 1970s to allow the use of platinum-content catalytic converters for pollution reduction, the most commonly used grades of avgas still contain tetraethyllead (TEL), a toxic substance used to prevent engine knocking (detonation), with ongoing experiments aimed at eventually reducing or eliminating the use of TEL in aviation gasoline.

Fuel efficiency is a form of thermal efficiency, meaning the ratio of effort to result of a process that converts chemical potential energy contained in a carrier (fuel) into kinetic energy or work. Overall fuel efficiency may vary per device, which in turn may vary per application, and this spectrum of variance is often illustrated as a continuous energy profile. Non-transportation applications, such as industry, benefit from increased fuel efficiency, especially fossil fuel power plants or industries dealing with combustion, such as ammonia production during the Haber process.

The Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards are regulations in the United States, first enacted by the United States Congress in 1975, after the 1973–74 Arab Oil Embargo, to improve the average fuel economy of cars and light trucks produced for sale in the United States. They are set by the Secretary of Transportation, currently Elaine Chao, via the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Chevrolet Equinox crossover SUV

The Chevrolet Equinox is a series of mid-size, later compact crossover SUV from Chevrolet, introduced in 2004 for the 2005 model year.

Mercedes-Benz B-Class car model manufactured by Mercedes-Benz

The Mercedes-Benz B-Class is a hatchback (C-segment) manufactured and marketed by Mercedes-Benz since 2005, and now in its third generation.

Ford Fusion Hybrid

The Ford Fusion Hybrid is a gasoline-electric hybrid powered version of the mid-sized Ford Fusion sedan manufactured and marketed by Ford, now in its second generation. A plug-in hybrid version, the Ford Fusion Energi, was released in the U.S. in February 2013.

Methylcyclopentadienyl manganese tricarbonyl chemical compound

Methylcyclopentadienyl manganese tricarbonyl (MMT or MCMT) is an organomanganese compound with the formula (C5H4CH3)Mn(CO)3. Initially marketed as a supplement for use in leaded gasoline, MMT was later used in unleaded gasoline to increase the octane rating. Following the implementation of the Clean Air Act (United States) (CAA) in 1970, MMT continued to be used alongside tetraethyl lead (TEL) in the US as leaded gasoline was phased out (prior to TEL finally being banned from US gasoline in 1995), and was also used in unleaded gasoline until 1977. Ethyl Corporation obtained a waiver from the U.S. EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) in 1995, which allows the use of MMT in US unleaded gasoline (not including reformulated gasoline) at a treat rate equivalent to 8.3 mg Mn/L (manganese per liter).

Monroney sticker

The Monroney sticker or window sticker is a label required in the United States to be displayed in all new automobiles and includes the listing of certain official information about the car. The window sticker was named after Almer Stillwell "Mike" Monroney, United States Senator from Oklahoma. Monroney sponsored the Automobile Information Disclosure Act of 1958, which mandated the disclosure of equipment and pricing information on new automobiles.

E85 Automotive fuel consisting of 85% ethanol

E85 is an abbreviation typically referring to an ethanol fuel blend of 85% ethanol fuel and 15% gasoline or other hydrocarbon by volume.

Gasoline gallon equivalent (GGE) or gasoline-equivalent gallon (GEG) is the amount of alternative fuel it takes to equal the energy content of one liquid gallon of gasoline. GGE allows consumers to compare the energy content of competing fuels against a commonly known fuel—gasoline. GGE also compares gasoline to fuels sold as a gas and electricity.

Hydrogen fuel enhancement is the process of using a mixture of hydrogen and conventional hydrocarbon fuel in an internal combustion engine, typically in a car or truck, in an attempt to improve fuel economy, power output, emissions, or a combination thereof. Methods include hydrogen produced through an electrolysis, storing hydrogen on the vehicle as a second fuel, or reforming conventional fuel into hydrogen with a catalyst.

Fuel saving devices are sold on the aftermarket with claims to improve the fuel economy and/or the exhaust emissions of any purport to optimize ignition, air flow, or fuel flow in some way. An early example of such a device sold with difficult-to-justify claims is the 200 mpg‑US (1.2 L/100 km) carburetor designed by Canadian inventor Charles Nelson Pogue.

Fuel economy in automobiles Distance travelled by a vehicle compared to volume of fuel consumed

The fuel economy of an automobile relates distance traveled by a vehicle and the amount of fuel consumed. Consumption can be expressed in terms of volume of fuel to travel a distance, or the distance travelled per unit volume of fuel consumed. Since fuel consumption of vehicles is a significant factor in air pollution, and since importation of motor fuel can be a large part of a nation's foreign trade, many countries impose requirements for fuel economy. Different methods are used to approximate the actual performance of the vehicle. The energy in fuel is required to overcome various losses encountered while propelling the vehicle, and in providing power to vehicle systems such as ignition or air conditioning. Various strategies can be employed to reduce losses at each of the conversions between the chemical energy in the fuel and the kinetic energy of the vehicle. Driver behavior can affect fuel economy; maneuvers such as sudden acceleration and heavy braking waste energy.

Top Tier Detergent Gasoline

Top Tier Detergent Gasoline and Top Tier Diesel Fuel are performance specifications and trademarks designed and supported by several major automakers. BMW, General Motors, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, Ford, Honda, Toyota, Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz, Navistar, and Audi support the gasoline standard, while General Motors, Volkswagen, Detroit Diesel, and Navistar support the diesel standard. Each of these automakers recommends the use of Top Tier Detergent Gasoline in their owner's manuals. Top Tier fuels must maintain levels of detergent additives that result in a higher standard of engine cleanliness and performance as compared to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requirement. In addition, Top Tier fuels may not contain metallic additives, which can harm the vehicle emission system and create pollutants. As of 2018, Top Tier Detergent Gasoline is available from 61 licensed retail brands and Top Tier Diesel Fuel is available from 5 licensed retail brands.

In the United States, vehicle emissions standards are set through a combination of legislative mandates enacted by Congress through Clean Air Act (CAA) amendments of 1970 and beyond, and executive regulations managed nationally by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and more recently along with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). These standard cover common motor vehicle air pollution, including carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, and particulate emissions, and newer versions have incorporated fuel economy standards.

Miles per gallon gasoline equivalent Measure of average distance traveled per unit of energy consumed

Miles per gallon gasoline equivalent is a measure of the average distance traveled per unit of energy consumed. MPGe is used by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to compare energy consumption of alternative fuel vehicles, plug-in electric vehicles and other advanced technology vehicles with the energy consumption of conventional internal combustion vehicles rated in miles per US gallon.

Mobile source air pollution

Mobile source air pollution includes any air pollution emitted by motor vehicles, airplanes, locomotives, and other engines and equipment that can be moved from one location to another. Many of these pollutants contribute to environmental degradation and have negative effects on human health. To prevent unnecessary damage to human health and the environment, environmental regulatory agencies such as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency have established policies to minimize air pollution from mobile sources. Similar agencies exist at the state level. Due to the large number of mobile sources of air pollution, and their ability to move from one location to another, mobile sources are regulated differently from stationary sources, such as power plants. Instead of monitoring individual emitters, such as an individual vehicle, mobile sources are often regulated more broadly through design and fuel standards. Examples of this include corporate average fuel economy standards and laws that ban leaded gasoline in the United States. The increase in the number of motor vehicles driven in the U.S. has made efforts to limit mobile source pollution challenging. As a result, there have been a number of different regulatory instruments implemented to reach the desired emissions goals.

N-Methylaniline (NMA) is an aniline derivative. It is an organic compound with the chemical formula C6H5NH(CH3). The substance is a colorless viscous liquid, Samples turn brown when exposed to air. The chemical is insoluble in water. It is used as a latent and coupling solvent and is also used as an intermediate for dyes, agrochemicals and other organic products manufacturing. NMA is toxic and exposure can cause damage to the central nervous system and can also cause liver and kidney failure.

Defeat device

A defeat device is any motor vehicle hardware, software, or design that interferes with or disables emissions controls under real-world driving conditions, even if the vehicle passes formal emissions testing. The term appears in the US Clean Air Act and European Union regulations, to describe anything that prevents an emissions control system from working, and applies as well to power plants or other air pollution sources, as to automobiles.

References

  1. Product Advertisement, The Star Newspaper, Christchurch, NZ, 27 August 2008
  2. epa.gov
  3. Advanced Fuel Technologies Field test report #710A
  4. EPA Motor Vehicle Aftermarket Retrofit Device Evaluation Program, United States Environmental Protection Agency, EPA420-B-00-003, May 2000
  5. abcnews.go.com
  6. Case Study: Fuel Freedom International's MPG-Caps Archived June 12, 2007, at the Wayback Machine