Though it may appear that “going green” and sustainable living is a trendy concept that has popped up in just the last several years, there have been many activists in years past that have made a difference, especially in the automotive industry.
One of those pioneers is Tom Ogle. You might be asking, “What is the Tom Ogle engine and why is this important to me?” We plan to answer that.
We will be discussing the life of Tom Ogle and also look at his engine design, as well as some of the positives and negatives of this type of engine design.
What is the Tom Ogle Engine?
The Tom Ogle engine is a highly fuel-efficient engine that lacked a common carburetor invented by Tom Ogle in 1977. It boasted to achieve 100 mpg at regular speeds – this was amazing.
In a standard engine of this time period, a carburetor was included. This simple component works with the fuel system to keep the engine running. The carburetor acts only on the vacuum of the engine to bring air into all of the cylinders.
The Tom Ogle engine was without a carburetor. In fact, the system would be dead in the water for many initial trials. The vehicle only made it to 20 mph with a fuel economy option of only 8 mpg.
Tom realized the fuel tank was frozen in form of cubes due to the vapors come into the system. To compensate for the preservation, he added heating coils in the fuel tank. The car afterwards had a fuel economy of 100 mpg at regular speeds.
Once he proved his concept all the investors wanted a piece of it. The Tom Ogle engine was big trouble ahead.
Who is Tom Ogle?
Tom Ogle’s full name is Thomas Hans Werner Peter Wolfgang Dinglestadt Ogle, but that’s neither here nor there. Ogle was a mechanical engineer and during some experimenting with his lawnmower, he made a remarkable engine discovery by accident. He discovered that if he added a vacuum line, he could operate the lawnmower without a carburetor.
When he removed the carburetor, his lawnmower ran for hours, sometimes as long as 96 hours at a time. And that lead to the researching a way to operate an engine without a carburetor.
Over the years, Tom kept testing different methods for running an engine without a carburetor, and while most of the time some things did not work, occasionally he found moments during his testing that yielded some great results.
That was until 1977 when Ogle was 23. He built a unit that completely replaces a vehicle’s carburetor, and in addition, the engine would operate 100 mpg with the device.
The automotive world was skeptical when the idea came to light. There were critics who were grasping on to every way to downplay the innovation, but their efforts were futile, and Tom Ogle became known for his invention.
Tom Ogle Engine Pros
#1. Fewer Emissions
Perhaps, the most important benefit to the Tom Ogle engine, is how the engine benefits the environment. If the engine uses less fuel, there has to be less emissions too.
When trying to find the most fuel-efficient gas-powered vehicle, the Tom Ogle is a huge home run. The ratings even beat that of a lot of hybrid vehicles too.
#2. Cost-effective
There are several methods to save money with a Tom Ogle engine. First, you would be spending less money at the pump, which very much makes this a great commuter motor.
Secondly, there are often tax credits given for hybrid and fuel-efficient vehicles. If the Tom Ogle could qualify for these incentives, that would put more money in more people’s pockets.
#3. High resale value.
The Tom Ogle engine is said to be durable and more reliable. With less serving it is only natural, the resale value would increase on vehicles with this engine.
Depreciation has to take away a lot of money from every person who sells a used car. That should also be a selling feature to every person considering such a purchase. Most people would tend to pay more for a car that is fuel-efficient.
Tom Ogle Engine Cons
#1. Less Attractive.
When a vehicle is designed for maximum fuel economy, the design is usually an afterthought. This put an aspect of non-toxic combustibility in the total context of any Tom Ogle engine.
Which would also mean, if manufacturers are trying to get a full 100 mpg out of the motor, there’s no effort into making the car look fabulous—it’s about weight and aerodynamic structure.
#2. Less Perfomance.
While it might be suspected that with a supercharged V8 or twin-turbo V6 capable of 0-60 times in the 3.0 second range, the acceleration speed offered by the fuel-efficient engine will not indicate performance.
Engines like the Tom Ogle motor just will not produce a ton of horsepower and torque. The acceleration will be tamer—not to put performance at its best.
#3. More Expensive to Repair.
Although a Tom Ogle engine potentially offers many ways to save money, it comes with costs associated for durability. Sometimes, the parts associated with hybrid and alternative fuel engines are more expensive than an average motor.
Furthermore, the trade skills associated with the Tom Ogle engine can also be difficult to source. Most mechanics will not have specific classroom training on the Tom Ogle engine and you will end up paying more for any repairs.
What Happened to the Tom Ogle Engine?
The 1970s and 1980s had many people excited for the Tom Ogle engine, so when did all the hype die down?
Tom’s life spiraled out of control when his wife left him and his career went downhill. In 1981, a hitman was reportedly sent to kill him, but was unsuccessful in doing so. It became very clear big oil companies did not want him to introduce his new invention.
After attempts to kill him, Ogle would eventually die anyways. At that point, the invention went to the grave with him.
Nothing would come of his invention. There were plenty of investors that wanted to move forward, but nothing ever materialized. What would the world look like today if we had the Tom Ogle engine adopted in the 1980’s?