DIY Car Mod Saves Gas: How a Simple Grille Shutter Cut Fuel Costs by 1 MPG

Fuel prices have climbed nearly 30% in the past month, prompting a new DIY solution to save gas. My colleague Sajeev Mehta recently published an article detailing his experiment with a little-known feature on many new cars: shutters that restrict airflow through the radiator grille.

The theory is straightforward: forcing air around a car’s body—rather than into the engine bay—reduces aerodynamic drag, which in turn lowers fuel consumption on the highway. To test this, Mehta retrofitted his vintage Ford Ranger pickup with cardboard shutters, blocking off the grille before embarking on a back-to-back highway trip from Houston to New Orleans.

The results? Mehta achieved 1 additional mile per gallon (MPG) with the DIY modification installed. That’s a significant improvement, especially considering automotive engineers often spend months refining designs to eke out even a fraction of an MPG.

"What I really loved about Mehta’s effort is how he indulged his curiosity—one of humanity’s most important characteristics. He didn’t just install the air blockers; he also devised a variety of ways to test their effectiveness."

This experiment underscores how cars serve as an ideal canvas for the curious, whether through mechanical modifications or exploring the software hidden beneath the surface.

Modern Cars Track Your Location—Even After They’re Totaled

In another investigation, an engineer at a French cybersecurity company discovered that the electronics in a Chinese-made car retained location data from the moment it was built in China until it reached a recycling yard in Poland.

This finding reinforces what many suspect: modern vehicles are tracking our movements. Even after a car is totaled, this data can persist, raising concerns about privacy and data retention.

Tesla Faces Class-Action Lawsuit Over ‘Full Self-Driving’ Promises

A California federal judge recently certified a class-action lawsuit against Tesla, with plaintiffs alleging they paid extra for promised autonomous driving upgrades that never materialized.

The lead plaintiff, Tom LoSavio, purchased a Tesla Model S in 2017 under the assumption that the car would achieve full self-driving capabilities. Similar lawsuits have emerged globally.

While some Tesla owners report hands-free driving experiences, the reality is more nuanced. For example, one of my car enthusiast friends drove his Tesla from Chicago to Detroit without touching the steering wheel. YouTube videos, including one by Jordan Golson, show long-distance trips with minimal driver intervention. Golson’s Model 3 journey across the country required him to touch the steering wheel for only a few minutes over dozens of hours of driving.

However, Golson clarified that the system is not truly autonomous. He noted that drivers must remain vigilant, as a camera inside the car monitors their attention. The term "Full Self Driving" may lead to unrealistic expectations—many assume they could take a nap while the car drives itself, which is not the case.