ON TRACK  What’s new in the business

Edited by Joan Mooney

TIRES    FILL ’ER UP—WITH NITROGEN, VERSUS OXYGEN?

Potential gas-cost savings has led some customers to fill their tires with nitrogen
instead of air, says service manager Dennis Murray, Lexus of Omaha (Nebr.),
which has offered the option since April.

“It’s saving them gas by stabilizing the pressure,” says Murray, who has found
no downside. It also reduces tire wear and, some say, results in a smoother
ride. Using nitrogen can save customers 3.3 percent a year on gas costs, says
Robin Pearl, founder of nitrogen machine maker N2 Revolution, Sunrise, Fla.

The dealership charges $49.95 for lifetime inflation of a vehicle’s four tires.
(The store paid about $10,000 for the nitrogen machine.)
—Vanessa Caceres