Unpaved

5. Eco-Tweaking

Ryan Ferrero wants to expose the corruption of the auto industry. “Instead of going to a car show to find something that gets two more miles to the gallon,” he says, “you can take what you have, and get four more miles per gallon.”

Don’t worry. He’s not suggesting vegetable oil. Ferrero founded Green Garage on the basis that making realistic environmental impacts with vehicles wasn’t something only the “eco-elite” could do. Their most popular product is the microGreen oil filter. In standard oil filters, gunk smaller than 25 microns (for reference, hair is 75 microns) gets through. That’s soot. The microGreen filter, however, refines up to 2 microns.

Translation: 70 percent less oil used; 50 percent less oil change visits. “It’s a new advancement companies like Jiffy Lube and Grease Monkey don’t want to see on the market,” Ferrero says. Some major corporations, such as AT&T, are beginning to convert their fleets to this, saving millions of dollars. “And we’re telling that story for your one car.” Alone, that saves the average driver up to $150 a year.

Other quick fixes they provide are: Pulse plugs instead of spark plugs—a 10 percent fuel economy increase and emissions decrease. Nitrogen-filled tires—a larger molecule than oxygen so it doesn’t escape as fast. “It’s a dirty little secret we’re bringing out.”

For some reason, I think of the Greek aphorism: “Know thyself.” It’s a matter of quantifying that should be applied to cars. What do we put in them? How often do we use them? Why does it stall? Luckily there are applications that work like Web MD for cars.

One application, Automatic (releasing in May), allows you to better track your fuel economy and explains check-engine-light statuses through a dongle attached to the car’s diagnostics port. It’s possible—as the company’s founder claims—to save a third on what we spend on gas by better knowing how we drive. And if you’re carsharing with friends or family, you can share the location of where you parked.

Like Ferrero says, “There’s maybe not a lot of new technologies on your car, but a lot of new ways to look at your transportation.” At the end, as I leave his office, he hands me a business card. Beneath his name reads: “Chief Carhugger.”