Gas additive to get a test drive: Compound made by local company to get trial run in Watervliet city vehicles

WATERVLIET, Oct 13, 2009 (Albany Times Union - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- MKTY | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating -- Watervliet is hoping to get a lot more mileage from its police vehicles, and it's not going to cost a dime extra.

The city is part of pilot study of a new gasoline additive invented by Taconic Energy Inc., a Saratoga Springs company led by former Mechanical Technology Inc. chief executive William Acker.

Although the additive has been tested in controlled fuel economy tests, Watervliet will be the first organization that will test it on its fleet.

Twenty-two city vehicles, mostly police cars, will use gasoline with the additive added. Each gallon of additive is projected to save 50 gallons of gas by making the car's engine more efficient, according to previous test results.

Although there are obvious benefits to the city -- using less fuel would save the city money -- the match appears to be a perfect fit between science and government. Acker and Watervliet Mayor Mike Manning used to work together at Mechanical Technology, and Manning has a technical background in energy as an engineer for GE Energy in Schenectady.

Acker says that's a rare combination.

"To be involved in something like this is unusual and progressive, and it shows vision," Acker said of Manning.

The use of the Watervliet fleet is also ideal because the city's vehicles fuel up at one central location behind the Fire Department headquarters, making it easy to track consumption. In the summer, the city collected preliminary data about the fuel efficiency of its cars before mixing in Taconic Energy's additive. Now they will track the fuel efficiency of the same vehicles to see if there's an improvement. The study will last eight months in order to test the results during different seasons.

"Bill planted the seed a year ago," Manning said. "We're not afraid to try things. We like to be out in front."

Taconic Energy has developed and tested the yet-to-be-named additive through $2.5 million in cost-sharing contracts with the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, the state's energy research arm. Acker says the funding from NYSERDA has helped to get the company in a position to commercialize the additive after only three years. Acker wouldn't reveal much of the makeup of the chemicals involved except to say they come from renewable sources.

He says that the additive bonds to parts of the engine, reducing friction and making it more efficient, getting more mileage out of every gallon of gas.

"This is one of the first of its type that we're aware of that in vigorous tests has shown to save fuel," Acker said. "There is a lot of snake oil out there. We've taken a real rigorous, scientific approach to this."

If the test goes well in Watervliet, Acker says that Taconic Energy will target municipal and delivery fleets for the commercial product.

"This fleet test is really important to us because it's an opportunity to get experience," Acker said.

Larry Rulison can be reached at 454-5504 or by e-mail at lrulison@timesunion.com.

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