Sunday Herald Sun
New invention will slash fuel bills
By Kelvin Healey
May 22, 2005
Saving money ... Shaun Rigney with his invention, the Vaporate, fitted to a fuel injector. A MELBOURNE invention that claims to slash vehicle petrol bills by up to 20 per cent and reduce harmful engine emissions will go on sale tomorrow.
The Vaporate Fuel Saving System is the brainchild of Shaun Rigney, 44, of Doncaster.
Vaporate, which will retail for a recommended $289 and must be fitted by a mechanic, will be distributed by Repco.
Mr Rigney said it worked by enabling vehicles to use petrol that normally was spewed into the environment.
He said most cars wasted between 15 per cent and 20 per cent of petrol because they failed to turn it into vapour.
Vaporate added heat to a fuel system, ensuring all petrol was vapourised and used.
Mr Rigney, who spent more than seven years developing the device, said extensive testing had shown four in five family cars and four-wheel-drive vehicles fitted with the device used between 10 per cent and 20 per cent less fuel.
He claimed that in some vehicles fuel use dropped by more than a quarter.
The device also allowed motorists who ran cars on premium unleaded to swap to regular unleaded without losing power.
Mr Rigney said Vaporate was fitted to the fuel injector.
"It is a relatively simple principle that has been around for a long time and we have been able to adapt it to modern-day fuel injection," he said.
Mr Rigney said the device would not affect new car warranties.
He had patented it in Australia and the US and an international patent was pending.
Repco merchandise manager Stephen Bird said: "We are very excited. It has a very important place in the history of the motor car.
"We believe it is going to be pretty big."
Mr Bird said the company had thoroughly analysed the extensive testing on the device and was satisfied it worked.
He said Vaporate was less effective on commercial vehicles carrying heavy loads, vehicles driven on mostly country roads and those driven too fast.
Repco authorised service national manager Peter Webb added: "From the testing we have done with the product, it works."
New invention will slash fuel bills
By Kelvin Healey
May 22, 2005
Saving money ... Shaun Rigney with his invention, the Vaporate, fitted to a fuel injector. A MELBOURNE invention that claims to slash vehicle petrol bills by up to 20 per cent and reduce harmful engine emissions will go on sale tomorrow.
The Vaporate Fuel Saving System is the brainchild of Shaun Rigney, 44, of Doncaster.
Vaporate, which will retail for a recommended $289 and must be fitted by a mechanic, will be distributed by Repco.
Mr Rigney said it worked by enabling vehicles to use petrol that normally was spewed into the environment.
He said most cars wasted between 15 per cent and 20 per cent of petrol because they failed to turn it into vapour.
Vaporate added heat to a fuel system, ensuring all petrol was vapourised and used.
Mr Rigney, who spent more than seven years developing the device, said extensive testing had shown four in five family cars and four-wheel-drive vehicles fitted with the device used between 10 per cent and 20 per cent less fuel.
He claimed that in some vehicles fuel use dropped by more than a quarter.
The device also allowed motorists who ran cars on premium unleaded to swap to regular unleaded without losing power.
Mr Rigney said Vaporate was fitted to the fuel injector.
"It is a relatively simple principle that has been around for a long time and we have been able to adapt it to modern-day fuel injection," he said.
Mr Rigney said the device would not affect new car warranties.
He had patented it in Australia and the US and an international patent was pending.
Repco merchandise manager Stephen Bird said: "We are very excited. It has a very important place in the history of the motor car.
"We believe it is going to be pretty big."
Mr Bird said the company had thoroughly analysed the extensive testing on the device and was satisfied it worked.
He said Vaporate was less effective on commercial vehicles carrying heavy loads, vehicles driven on mostly country roads and those driven too fast.
Repco authorised service national manager Peter Webb added: "From the testing we have done with the product, it works."
