CES Unveiled: Moletech Fuel Saver Gives You Free Gas (!?)

Last night's CES Unveiled event was the first official happening of the CES show (if you don't include the ridiculous delays at SFO just to get here), and while it was jam-packed full of sweaty journalists in a room too small to fit them, I was surprised by how little new stuff was on display. Aside from some new robots from Wowwee (see our official Flickr stream for pics) and the occasional gadget, a lot of CES Unveiled 2008 was stuff leftover from CES 2007 and even 2006.

One item caught my eye, though: A company called Moletech (pronounced "mall-eh-tek"), aka Mtech, which makes a set of gizmos designed to increase your gas mileage.

The Moletech Fuel Saver includes a kit of small metal cylinders that you hook up to your jalopy. Depending on the type of car you have and the type of fuel it uses, you drop them in the gas tank, clip them to the air filter, and/or strap them to the radiator hose. You then drive normally and reap the benefits of better gas mileage, thanks to these "sensors" -- 10 to 20 percent better, depending on the vehicle.

A variety of sets are available, for everything ranging from scooters to semi trucks.

How does it work? A Moletech marketing rep couldn't really say what was inside the devices, partly because of trade secrets and partly, he said, because he wasn't an engineer. But the basic idea is that "fuel molecules have a tendency to cluster together" and the Moletech Fuel Saver somehow "breaks them up" leading to more complete combustion and less "carbon build-up." Better combustion equals less fuel used overall.

That's the theory, anyway. Of course the claims are outrageous... but Moletech handed me about 50 pages of material insisting it's true, including a study from Murdoch University in Australia that backs up its claims. Obviously, I'm in a hotel room at Vegas and can't verify it either way, but if you're willing to gamble $119 to $399 to give this kit a try for yourself, please know that you have my utmost respect and admiration. Remember, I'm just the messenger on this one, folks... and a severe skeptic for the time being.