E3 Spark Plugs News

171 years ago this month, the first known spark plug was invented by Edmond Berger, historians say. Unfortunately, Berger failed to patent his spark plug invention, so documented history points to Sir Oliver Lodge of England, whose sons parlayed the “Lodge Igniter” into a profitable company founded in 1903. The next year, Albert Champion, a world renowned bicycle and motorcycle racer who made extra cash by handcrafting spark plugs and selling them to friends, moved from France to Flint, Michigan and founded Champion Ignition Company. Investor drama left Champion jobless, but he soon found himself appointed president of the AC Spark Plug Company formed with backing from Buick Motor Co. AC spark  plugs were used in Charles Lindbergh’s and Amelia Earhart’s trans-Atlantic flights and fired the second and third stage rocket engines that took Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Mike Collins to the moon.

Fast forward one century and the garden variety spark plug hasn’t changed much, outside of manufacturing materials and techniques to make them cheaper. That is, until E3 Spark Plugs entered the scene. We figured 100 years was plenty of time to go without a major advancement, and we had a gut feeling that a better, more environmentally sensitive product was possible. So, we headed back to school – literally – and recruited researchers specializing in combustion and engine dynamics from leading engineering universities.

The result was a totally revamped electrode design. Gone was the antiquated J-wire electrode. And after several years of testing and back-to-the-drawing-board drudgery, we debuted the DiamondFire spark plug design. The DiamondFire design features multiple sharp edges (rather than the traditional single edge) to the circular edge of the center electrode, allowing the spark to seek the path of least resistance. This design boosts combustion pressure and completely burns the fuel/air mixture within the cylinder, allowing for higher power output, increased fuel economy and reduced emissions. That means you get more horsepower using less fuel and leaving less mess in the air, helping to reduce air pollution and global warming.

We have verified every claim via testing using the most sophisticated diagnostic equipment available and via independent testing. Even the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) reports that E3 Spark Plugs’ DiamondFire technology offers “clear advantages in HC and CO emissions control while at the same time improving power and fuel economy.” In fact, E3 Spark Plugs is the only spark plug mentioned in EPA rulings as a supplemental emissions control device.

We’ve come a long way, baby! Find out for yourself how E3’s DiamondFire spark plugs can improve the performance of your engines from your Winnebago to your weedeater. Browse our website to find and E3 spark plugs dealer near you or send us a comment or question via our convenient online email form.

E3 Spark Plugs has signed on as the title sponsor of the E3 Spark Plugs Challenge, a feature of the 2010 Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series that centers on selected televised series events. The challenge bases standings on points earned by drivers for various plugs and promos during each of the series’ televised events taking place throughout the 2010 season.

To be eligible for cash prizes, drivers must maintain perfect attendance throughout the season, mention the E3 Spark Plugs Challenge during television interviews at each event and display E3 Spark Plugs decals throughout the season. It’s designed to give those perfect-attendance drivers incentives to perform well throughout the season and help promote E3 Spark Plugs as the “Official Spark Plug” of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series. The driver who racks up the most points by season’s end lands a cash award of $2,500, and one runner-up gets $1,500 at the series’ year-end awards banquet at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, IN.

Keep your eyes peeled for televised series events at:

• East Bay Raceway Park – Tampa, FL 2/4/10
• East Bay Raceway Park – Tampa, FL 2/6/10
• Paducah International Raceway – Paducah, KY 5/1/10
• Lucas Oil Speedway – Wheatland, MO 5/28-29/10
• Florence Speedway – Florence, KY 6/1/10
• Columbus Speedway – Columbus, MS 7/9-10/10
• Tri-City Speedway – Pontoon Beach, IL 7/16/10
• Batesville Speedway – Batesville, AR 8/20-21/10
• Lawrenceburg Speedway – Lawrenceburg, IN 8/27/10
• Portsmouth Raceway Park – Portsmouth, OH 9/3-4/10
• Brownstown Speedway – Brownstown, IN 9/24-25/10
• Dixie Speedway – Woodstock, GA 10/9/10

E3 Spark Plugs is a longtime partner of “Team Lucas,” a group of sponsoring entities including General Tire, Rockstar Energy Drink, R&L Carriers, Sunoco Race Fuels and Dart. Available online and via more than 14,000 vendors nationwide, E3 Spark Plugs offers spark plugs developed by environmentally conscious researchers from leading universities. Our spark plugs can reduce greenhouse gas emissions and help stave off global warming by reducing fuel consumption. Drivers enjoy increased gas mileage while getting a horse power boost. We make spark plugs for professional race cars, power sports vehicles, everyday cars and even lawnmowers. Learn more by visiting our website today.

Monster truck fanatics nationwide are all revved up for the 2009-2010 E3 Spark Plugs Monster Nationals Presented by Lucas Oil. Celebrating its 35th year, the series runs through April 24 hitting 15 cities and venues throughout the Midwest. And E3 Spark Plugs is in the center of it all. Look for our logo featured on a special 35th Anniversary Bigfoot® monster truck competitor.

Here’s the schedule of upcoming events:

• January 8-9, Huntington, WV
• January 16, Champaign, IL
• January 23, Cleveland, OH
• January 29-31, Madison, WI
• January 29-30, Cincinnati, OH
• February 6, East Lansing, MI
• February 12-13, Duquoin, IL
• February 19-20, Sioux City, IA
• February 26-27, Youngstown, OH
• March 12-13, Chicago, IL
• March 19-20, Boone, NC
• March 26-27, Corbin, KY
• April 10, Columbus, OH
• April 23-24, Erie, PA

Monster trucks rumbled onto the scene way back in 1974 from the garage of Bob Chandler. The original monster truck, “Bigfoot” took the world by surprise and started a craze that just keeps getting bigger and wilder every year. Originally used as Chandler’s work truck and occasional for promotional events for his 4×4 parts and service company, Bigfoot attracted lots of attention, leading to its first paid gig in 1971, a Denver car show. In 1981, Chandler decided to roll Bigfoot over a couple of junk cars and see how audiences would react. The result made history and eventually led to the monster truck team racing concept.

Thirty five years later, audiences are still wild for monster trucks and their car-crushing, wheelie-popping, obstacle-jumping antics. E3 Spark Plugs is thrilled to be the title sponsor of this year’s Monster Truck Nationals and the series’ new owner The Promotion Company-Family Events, which plans to keep thrilling audiences with the nation’s top monster trucks and best driver, plus add new supporting acts to the family-friendly shows.

“This audience appreciates big engine power and nothing helps deliver that power better than our DiamondFire design spark plugs,” says E3 Spark Plugs Vice President of Sales and Marketing Steve Joiner. “Since the E3 Spark Plugs Monster Nationals Presented by Lucas Oil attracts a lot of families, we can also stress the family-friendly story of how we are helping to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and global warming by reducing fuel consumption.  Performance with economy for a better environment-we think it’s a message that will hit home with this audience.”

Just after a thrilling finish to the 2009 GEICO AMA EnduroCross Series presented by E3 Spark Plugs in Las Vegas, the 2010 schedule was released today. The 2010 schedule includes two new venues: Comcast Arena in Everett, Wash. near Seattle and Pepsi Coliseum in Indianapolis, Inc. Events at Comcast Arena are designed to introduce the sport of EnduroCross to off-road enthusiasts in the Pacific Northwest. And the Indianapolis appearance aligns the EnduroCross with the USGP, which represents a whole new group of motorsports lovers. (more…)

SEMA Show 2009 just wrapped and E3 Spark Plugs is revved up about all the innovative new products and technologies in the automotive industry. This season, the common thread among major auto shows is a focus on fuel efficiency and leaner, greener products, technologies and approaches. E3 Spark Plugs felt right at home.

Aside from all the spectacular new vehicle models, and of course the beautiful female models accompanying them plus a host of TV and racing celebrities, a main attraction at SEMA Show 2009 was the Making Green Cool Zone. This exhibit area featured dozens of innovative solutions for refining existing automotive platforms including the internal combustion gasoline engine, and creating new products using alternative fuels and energy sources. (more…)

The E3 Spark Plugs 2009 Plug-n-Play Sweepstakes, conducted in conjunction with StreetFire.net, is officially over.  The lucky grand-prize winner is Joseph Porter of Huntington, WV.  Joseph, a 9-year employee at the Toyota Motor Manufacturing Facility in Buffalo, WV, says that he has been around cars his whole life in one form or fashion. (more…)

Ever have a problem cranking up your ATV or snowmobiles engine in cold weather?  Most of the time, the issue lies in your batteries cold cranking amps and your spark plugs ability to develop a good spark in lower temperatures.  E3 Spark Plugs, the leading manufacturer of automotive and small-engine spark plugs, recently released its new line of powersport plugs, which offer a simple and easy way to ensure that your engine will fire no matter what the temperature.  With over 85% coverage for motorcycles and snowmobiles, and a more than majority coverage for ATV’s and personal watercraft vehicles, E3’s powersport plugs also improve horsepower and increase fuel efficiency. (more…)

E3 Spark Plugs with DiamondFIRE Technology is proud to announce that it is the only spark plug available today that is recognized by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as a supplemental emissions technology device.  This is due to the recent EPA testing, in which E3 was involved, that pushed the government to tighten emissions standards for new gasoline-powered lawn mowers, weed trimmers, and boat engines, requiring those engines to reduce the amount of smog-causing pollution they are allowed to emit. (more…)

E3 Spark Plugs, the fuel efficient, low emissions, high performance spark plug that is now available for most small engine, powersport and automotive applications, has completed it’s inaugural year as a sponsoring member of the grassroots motorsports Team Lucas program. (more…)