New Aftermarket Automotive Technology is First to Pass EPA Guidelines

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From: editors@...Subject: New Aftermarket Automotive Technology is First to Pass EPA GuidelinesDate: Fri, 12 Dec 2008 03:05:24 -0600

New Aftermarket Automotive Technology is First to Pass EPA Guidelines

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE NEW AFTERMARKET AUTOMOTIVE TECHNOLOGY IS FIRST TO PASS EPA GUIDELINES FOR INCREASED FUEL ECONOMY IN INDEPENDENT LAB TESTING, WHILE DRAMATICALLY REDUCING CO2 EMISSIONS “Blade” shows “significant and repeatable” results on a fleet of vehicles during EPA 511 Protocol testing; CO2 emissions reduction equivalent to removing approximately 15.5 million – or one in five – cars from the road

AUSTIN, TX, December 12, 2008 --/WORLD-WIRE/-- Independent labs have tested more than 100 aftermarket automotive devices and fuel additives following the rigorous EPA 511 Protocol, a test created to evaluate claims to reduce automobile exhaust emissions and/or improve fuel economy. Each and every one has failed to meet the EPA’s guidelines for “significant and repeatable” results… until now. Independent lab test results, released today, show that a new environmental technology, Blade, reduces CO2 emissions from automotive tailpipes by up to 12 percent and improves gas mileage by up to 12 percent. These results suggest that if every car and light-duty truck in the United States were equipped with Blade, the CO2 emissions reduction would be equivalent to removing approximately 15.5 million – or one in five – cars from the road. Developed by Sabertec, Blade affixes to the tailpipe of any car, SUV, light-duty truck or hybrid. It works by reducing the duration of a vehicle’s cold start operation and by improving the volumetric efficiency of the engine. Tests were performed at the nation’s premier emissions testing lab, Automotive Testing and Development Services, Inc. (ATDS), the same lab used by top vehicle manufacturers for fuel economy and emissions testing, including Honda, Toyota, GM, Ford, Nissan, Mazda, Mitsubishi and Volvo. ATDS is accepted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and licensed by the California Air Resources Board (CARB). "This is a significant achievement in comparison to other fuel saving devices that promise large fuel savings but have not shown any repeatable positive benefit in controlled testing,” said Linwood E. Farmer Jr., Vice President, ATDS. “Automotive manufacturers expend considerable effort to make improvements in fleet fuel economy in this range and the ability of Blade to provide this level of improvement in an aftermarket, consumer-installable device is remarkable." The EPA 511 Protocol is the most rigorous test procedure in existence and the only one that the EPA considers statistically valid. The laboratory tested Blade on a fleet of vehicles – consisting of 4-cylinder, 6-cylinder and 8-cylinder passenger cars, an 8-cylinder van and a 4-cylinder hybrid vehicle – a combination of foreign and domestic. The results demonstrate verifiable and repeatable CO2 reduction and increased fuel economy. "We are thrilled with the new results from ATDS, and we feel more confident than ever as we continue to mobilize our company's core mission: reduce the toxic particulate and CO2 emitted from the 230 million cars we drive every day in this country," said Bill O'Brien, CEO, Sabertec. "The task at hand for us over the next decade is to provide consumers, businesses and government agencies with an affordable and highly effective, non-catalytic solution to reduce vehicle air pollution.” Based on Sabertec’s diesel emissions reduction technology, Impact Diesel Particulate Filter (IDPF), in use for years in Sao o, Brazil (a city notorious for its battle with air pollution), Blade was designed to filter harmful particulate material that is linked to a host of health effects and even death. However, early testing indicated dramatic reductions in CO2 and other greenhouse gases, leading to this new, extensive round of testing. Detailed Findings: Blade’s ATDS Lab ResultsEPA 511 protocol requires products to be tested in comparison to baselines for emissions and fuel economy, using a variety of fleet sizes that range from two to 10 cars. This ensures results are accurate and consistent across many vehicle types. EPA guidelines state for a fleet of five vehicles, the fuel economy increase must average three percent to be considered a real effect. The fleet of five vehicles tested that were equipped with Blade averaged a four percent increase – an achievement never before demonstrated by any aftermarket device manufacturer. TABLE 1: For each car tested, CO2 reduction and fuel economy increases often exceeded expectations:

Vehicle Type

CO2 Emissions Reduction (up to Ö )

Fuel Economy Increase (up toÖ)

2004 Honda Civic

6%

6%

2008 Hyundai Sonata

12%

12%

2007 Ford E-250

6%

5%

2008 Pontiac G6

6%

4%

2007 Toyota Prius

6%

3%Addressing America’s Air Pollution Perils: 20,000+ Lives Lost Annually O’Brien says Blade’s technology can be extraordinarily effective in addressing the widespread problems caused by exposure to particulate material, small and sometimes microscopic particles of soot or carbon. However, transportation is the greatest single source of air pollution in America, caused in large part by toxic emissions of passenger vehicles. Studies from the EPA and American Lung Association link air pollution to environmental ramifications like global warming and smog, as well as consequences on human health including lung damage, asthma and premature death. Dr. Bart Ostro, Ph.D., Chief of the Air Pollution Epidemiology Section, California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) said, "Our studies show that ambient particles that are less than 2.5 micrometers in diameter are unhealthy to breathe and have been associated with premature mortality and other serious health effects. Our recent analysis indicated that there are 14,000 to 24,000 deaths a year in the State of California from exposure to fine particles, about half of which come from mobile sources.” For more information on Blade, visit http://www.bladeyourride.com. About SabertecSabertec, based in Austin, Texas, is on the vanguard of solving environmental challenges through technology, education and the inspiration of behavioral change. Sabertec products reduce fossil fuel burning engine emissions that are known contributors to global warming, as well as health consequences including cancer, strokes and respiratory diseases. Launched in 2008, Blade, www.bladeyourride.com is the company’s first consumer product available in the United States. Blade was developed utilizing Sabertec’s patent-pending impact filtration method, which is the core technology in their IDPF product. IDPF has been reducing toxic diesel particulate matter emissions on commercial bus fleets in Sao o, Brazil since 2005. www.Sabertec.orgMedia ContactCaroline Budneycbudney@..., ext. 15www.bladeyourride.com

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