A Fuel Additive That Cuts Pollution? Don't Buy It

The company's name is Biofriendly, but at the very least the company was no friend to environmental bureaucracy.

Biofriendly Corp. agreed to pay the Environmental Protection Agency $1.25 million for making and selling an unregistered fuel additive in Texas and California. "Green Plus," the company claimed, would reduce emissions from diesel engines.

Here's what its Web site (still active) claims:

"Biofriendly corporation have introduced Green Plus, an extraordinary new product. Green Plus is a true liquid fuel catalyst and can be mixed with various types of fuel. It is the world’s most economical and of course effective solution to significantly improve fuel economy and ultimately reduce emissions.

"Green plus is a breakthrough technology that directly addresses two of the world’s greatest problems. Protecting the environment by reducing emissions and addressing the growing need for energy by improving fuel economy. Green Plus is the only known product that can address both the emission reduction issue and improve fuel economy in diesel, gasoline, fuel oil and other hydrocarbon based products.

"Green Plus has been in development for the last 16 years and it has cost more than 12 million dollars in research funds to develop. Biofriendly has recently decided to make Green Plus available to the commercial market. Green Plus is now being used on three continents. Accredited laboratories in the United States, Australia, Europe and Asia have done extensive testing on Green Plus. The EPA has registered Green Plus and the USC School of Medicine have certified Green Plus as non-carcinogenic and non-mutagenic."

The company couldn't back up its claims, had not tested the product and did not register even basic information about its chemical composition with the EPA.

This is another good example of buyer beware. Many fuel additives and off-the-shelf devices that claim to reduce emissions or increase fuel economy are bogus. Remember, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

The best bet for reducing emissions and burning less fuel is to buy a fuel-efficient vehicle, drive only when necessary and always drive smart. See the related links for more specific tips.

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