Currently reading: "Fill 'er up, C3PO"
Dutch inventors pioneer a robotic arm that'll fill your fuel tank for you

The days of braving the bitter elements while filling up your car may soon end thanks to the “Tankpitstop” robotic fuel filler.Dutch inventors have created a £55,000 car fuelling robot which works by registering the car on arrival at the pump and matching fuel types and fuel filler designs. The arm then extends from the fuel pump, opens the tank, and grabs the fuel nozzle before filling the tank as quickly and efficiently as a human arm.Robotic arms that can milk cows inspired the design of the “Tankpitstop”. Developer Nico van Staveren said: “If a robot can do that then why can’t it fill a car tank?”The robotic arm works on any car that doesn’t need a key to unlock its filler, and whose details are recorded on the database of cap designs to avoid scratching. The creators hope to have some of the arms installed in Dutch petrol stations by the end of the year.

Mark Rainford

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SpecB 7 February 2008

Re: "Fill 'er up, C3PO"

DradusContact wrote:
64 litres? that is crazy! Thats almost twice mine.

Legacies are not known for their parsimonius use of fuel although my economy is better than what is quoted by Subaru around town and 24mpg average over 13.5k miles is not bad for permanent awd and a 3 litre considering I do very few motorway miles.

I actually put about 50-55 litres in because the light comes on very early and there always seems to be loads left in the tank - never had it over 60 litres yet.

Jon Hardcastle 7 February 2008

Re: "Fill 'er up, C3PO"

I filed up my 159 from empty last week, it cost 74 quid, 67 litres, judging by the needle it will probably hold 70/75 litres.

DradusContact 7 February 2008

Re: "Fill 'er up, C3PO"

SpecB wrote:
hate filling up (with petrol that is). It might have something to do with the fact that 64 litres of super ul only gets me about 300 miles on average!

64 litres? that is crazy! Thats almost twice mine.

With me biking into work i only need to put about £10 a week in, depending what im doing at the weekend.