WEISER - With gas prices on the rise, one Idaho man has a new invention he claims will increase fuel efficiency by 70-percent.

How the project works

Thomas Jones of Weiser first came up with something he calls a fuel expansion system in the 1980's - and with the help of a government patent and a marketing group he says we could see this technology in cars and on the roads as early as next year.

He calls it a Fuel Expansion System or FES.

He came up with the idea around 1980 when money was tight and he was traveling to and from therapy recovering from a mining accident.

"I was fueling up my car one day, and I said, you know, the vapor coming out of this gas tank while I'm fueling it, the fumes you can smell, that's perfect fuel, so I started playing around with them and building them to make that vapor," he said.

His first model was made in a gallon jar.

"I made a top for it with some bubbler tubes and put some liquid gas in it, and then my out take here that goes into the engine intake creates the vacuum in the chamber, and creates the fuel for me," he said.

Using a similar set up, Jones took a 1984 V-6 Ford LTD and tested it before and after installing his system.

With four passengers in the LTD he says he now gets 39 miles per gallon – compared to the 23 MPG before he installed the system.

That's a 70% increase in fuel efficiency.

He says his tests are even better with this air compressor showing a 150% increase in efficiency.  That increases the running time from one hour to two and a half hours.

"Ford has a hybrid out, it's an SUV, the V6 motor in it, is a little bit smaller than mine, and they're, they finally achieved 34 miles per gallon, so their five miles per gallon behind me," Jones said.

Jones says his technology, patented in 2004 could be combined with hybrid technology --

"Then the milage would just shoot up a lot higher.”

Jones says any internal combustion engine that uses gasoline will be able to use this system.

Once on the market he estimates it will cost around $1200.

Initially looking to extend gas mileage Jones stumbled upon something else.

He says after checking the emissions he removed carbon monoxide from the exhaust - leaving carbon dioxide, water vapor and oxygen coming out the tail pipe.

In high smog areas he believes the air going into the engine will be dirtier than the exhaust coming out.