If you’ve ever ridden in a Prius, or any hybrid car for that matter, you may have noticed the real time display in the dash that gives information about fuel consumption, energy production, mileage data, and basically what the car is doing and how it is operating at that exact moment in time. The idea of providing this information is less for novelty, although it is kind of cool the first time you see it, but more to enable the driver of the vehicle to adjust his or her driving habits in order to become a more fuel efficient driver.
GPS-maker Garmin is now offering a similiar type of real time feedback for drivers of any vehicle. Garmin announced earlier this year a new optional extra for its Nuvi GPS system called ecoRoute. The feature includes a cable that plugs into a car’s OBD-II diagnostic communications port to read out an array of data including fuel and air information, throttle position, combustion mixture and more. This diagnostic information works in conjunction with downloadable software that can be installed on any 1xxx series Nuvis to display a variety of vehicle information about what is going on in the engine.
The system also includes a driving challenge that users can use to help train themselves to drive more efficiently as well as the ability to allow drivers to select a more economical route that may or may not be the fastest or shortest route.
Though no sale date has been announced, the price for the ecoRouteconnection cable is rumored to be $149. It could be available for sale as early as December of this year, but will most likely be released during the first quarter of 2010.
The Good: A relatively inexpensive means of obtaining engine/driving data for any car that will enable drivers to be more fuel efficient in their driving habits and routes taken.
The Bad: At $149, many people will not be willing to pay for something they may perceive as not being that useful.
The Bottom-Line: A clever and easier way to become more fuel efficient with the car you have while at the same time learning new fuel-efficient driving habits that will not only better serve the environment, but your wallet as well.
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