NHTSA and OEM Wrangling Over High mpg CAFE Standards, Miss a Low Pressure Remedy

    CRANBERRY TOWNSHIP, Pa.--June 3, 2002--Cycloid Company, a manufacturer of an automatic tire pressure inflation device, reports that the U.S. government and automotive OEMS could see dramatic fuel savings and solid contributions to the Corporate Average Fleet Efficiency ("CAFE") mpg standards were a simple low cost strategy pursued.
    That strategy is to address losses in mpg due to tire under-inflation.

    Consider these facts:

    Bringing U.S. vehicle tires up to their proper inflation pressure could avoid the purchase of 1.24 BILLION gallons of gasoline per year: This level of fuel conservation and mpg improvement occurs from only a 1/4-1/2 mpg improvement across all U.S. vehicles: Current standards used by NHTSA to assess vehicle mpg performance for CAFE compliance do not factor in the benefit of any vehicle improving mpg by overcoming tire under-inflation. One would think that these achievable gains would get some quick attention.
    Unfortunately, due to a history of poor consumer tire inflation maintenance habits, lack of adequate service station air pump availability, heretofore-unavailable automatic tire inflation technology, and NHTSA test standards that don't count improvements related to improving tire rolling resistance from under-inflation, little attention has been focused here.
    When compared to other mpg improvement strategies, fixing tire under-inflation is clearly "the low hanging fruit". This is true as automobiles, light trucks and SUVs can today, be outfitted with automatic air inflation devices for less than $100/vehicle with very nominal changes to the vehicle's wheels required.
    With SUVs and light trucks likely to be included in OEM CAFE standards, OEM interest and NHTSA test standards cannot afford to ignore the significant gains and lower costs of keeping tires inflated.
    Regardless of CAFE standards causing OEM consternation and congressional wrangling, automakers continue to work on a host of strategies to meet compliance including, lightweight cars that could use small engines, fuel-cell electric vehicles, diesel-electric hybrid power plants, new fuels and transmissions. These varied OEM strategies may sound like this fuel conservation goal can likely be achieved.
    However, a close examination of the implementation costs, design challenges, and risk trade-offs would suggest otherwise. Most current CAFE compliance strategies involve significant manufacturing and implementation costs, if not the controversy and perceived manufacturer risk over vehicle deaths ostensibly caused by ever-lighter vehicles.
    Recent energy bills passed by the House of Representatives in August of 2001 look to have the U.S. reduce oil consumption by five billion gallons over the 2004-2010 period. Reductions in gasoline consumption by U.S. vehicles figure heavily in this forecast. Of that 5 billion gallon reduction target, consider the roughly 1.2 billion gallons yearly contribution that could occur from maintaining tire pressure alone.
    Remedying tire under-inflation is obviously not the whole answer to mpg gains and national fuel conservation needs, but given impending NHTSA tire pressure monitoring standards, simultaneously addressing tire pressure maintenance seems an eminently sensible hand and glove strategy. To say nothing of the safety benefit that could be derived.
    Cycloid Company is headquartered in Cranberry Township, PA. The company has developed and manufactures the only self-contained automatic tire inflation and tire monitoring system available, called AutoPump. In addition, Cycloid's Reactance software produces tire `alerts' that can trigger very early warnings to the driver about potential tire problems, before ride and handling problems develop. The device is the size of a hockey puck and is mounted under the centrally located wheel ornament with a direct airway through the wheel into the tire. In 1997, this technology was first validated and commercialized for the severe environment of the heavy duty trucking industry and has since been tested and validated by various automobile manufacturers.
    For more information including video presentations, visit www.cycloid.com.

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