Nitrogen Enriched Fuel by Shell

[Christ]

Originally Posted by wagonman76

Bingo.

I don't see how it will do anything more for your engine than the air that already comes in through the intake, or that fills the empty space in your gas tank.

Sounds to me like a way for Shell to scam you for more profits. If they aerate the fuel at the pump, you are getting less actual fuel per gallon because the rest is just air.

They can't legally aerate the fuel at the pump to add anything to it. The pumps are monitored and certified by the FTC and often by state governing bodies as well.

Any fuel additives would have to be added well before the pump stations ever got it.

The only logical thought that I see, is that somehow, they're bonding nitrogen with other molecules in the fuel, creating a slightly different composition altogether. The problem with this, is that it's still going to just be more nitrogen, less boom.

[captainslug]

It's market brand differentiation. Nothing more.
The first company to come up with it or be notable for doing it can claim to be "an industry leader" for something that doesn't even add to their product in a way that significantly affects the customer. It will however still slightly inflate their sales on a temporary basis.
The same kind of market brand differentiation goes on quite frequently in food products. At first there were only a few products "WITH ADDED CALCIUM", but eventually everything had "ADDED CALCIUM".
It's all about making something mundane slightly more novel. You can accomplish similar results by changing the packaging of the product, the labeling, or the presentation enough to make it seem "new" even though its contents are still the same.

So yes. It's basically snake oil.

[davidgrey50]

Maybe it's the same as "Platformate"...