"Electric fields can boost a car's mileage by up to 20 percent, thanks to a well-known effect in which electric fields reduce the viscosity of a liquid. Reduced fuel viscosity means that much smaller droplets can be injected into the engine, leading to more efficient combustion. Investigators at Temple University thinned fuel by attaching an electrically charged tube to a diesel engine's fuel line hear the fuel injector. In road tests, the attachment, which consumed less than . 1 watt, increased highway fuel economy from 32 to 38 miles per gallon. The researchers, who describe the boost in November 19th Energy & Fuels, expect the device will find use in all kids of internal-combustion engines. "