RIYADH, 10 November 2005 — A gas-saving device developed by a Filipino inventor is slowly gaining acceptance among car owners even in the Kingdom where oil supply is no problem.
Since its low-key launch in Riyadh early this year, the device called Khaos Super Gas Saver is now installed in more than a hundred vehicles owned by its sole distributor in Saudi Arabia, Naif Al-Rahji.
“Car owners who have the Khaos Gas-Saver are beginning to realize that it not only cut gas consumption significantly but also reduces pollution,” said Nilo Bondad, the company’s installer of the device.
“We initially faced difficulty in convincing potential clients here in Riyadh about the wisdom of putting Khaos in their cars. But now it has taken off,” he told Arab News.
Officially named the Khaos Super Turbo Charger (KSTC), the invention by Filipino mechanic Pablo Planas had been tested to slash up to 50 percent in gas consumption and reduce carbon monoxide emissions and increase engine power of vehicles.
Planas had said KSTC’s secret is “to introduce the right amount of additional air to the car engine to obtain the proper air-fuel ratio for better combustion.”
It is installed at the intake manifold of gasoline vehicles, either carburetor or fuel-injection type.
The product won a presidential award as the Most Outstanding Invention for Transportation & Environment during the Filipino Inventors Week on Nov. 26-30, 2003 in Manila. It was only last year, however, that the device began selling like hot cake in the Philippines when the price of oil soared.
Naif Al-Rajhi, located at Riyadh’s Suleimania district, was one of the first to sign up with Inventionhaus International Corp., which manufactures the Khaos Super Gas Saver, according to Cris Montera, a sales and marketing executive of the company.
Montera said Khaos is also being distributed in Spain, India, Australia, Marianas Islands and Indonesia.
In the Philippines, the device is “positioned as a solution for automobile owner who grapple with rising oil prices and air pollution concerns,” he said.
One car owner in Riyadh, Nemen Cabatuando, said Khaos has cut the gas-consumption of his second-hand, eight-cylinder American car by 35 percent.
More Benefits
Bondad said the savings in gas usage range from 10 to 50 percent, depending on the brand of vehicle. He said he conducts initial tests on the car for its hydrocarbon and carbon monoxide emission to know the real condition of the car engine before installing Khaos to ensure effective performance of the device on the vehicle.
Khaos, however, is turning out to be more than just a gas-saver and pollution-emission controller, said Bondad. He said Khaos doubles the “life span” of the engine oil as well as the spark plug.
“The engine becomes more powerful without carbon emission and thus eliminate pollution,” he said.
Try It Out
Though the device has received testimonies on its effective use, it has also been getting unpopular views, posted on the Internet by some motorists who have installed it in their cars.
“The device will decrease fuel consumption, but only during idle and off-throttle situations. This is simply because we spend most of the time idling away or with our foot off the pedal when stuck in traffic. Hence, the more time we spend in traffic the more savings we stand to gain using the device,” said one.
“However, I am not convinced enough to install it into my car for the simple reason that I want that machine to work optimally. I don’t spend most of my time in traffic in Metro Manila because I plan my routes. I want to be able to let the car rip, and safely at that, when the road opens. But that’s just me,” said another.
“For the daily commuter, of course, a device like this might help, if it really works, especially in the long run. But maybe it’s just not for me because I haven’t been convinced yet,” he added.
Montera said they are encouraging motorists to try out the product and find out for themselves. Motorists can own a Khaos for only SR750, and that includes installation, which takes only about 5 minutes, he said.