Hybrids and electric vehicles help drivers reduce their energy consumption and emissions through a built-in vehicle information centre, something most other automobiles don't benefit from. If you're the hypermiler type, a new device called Eco-Navigator could quickly become your #1 travel companion.
Doubling as a GPS and eco driving assistant, Eco-Navigator shows routes to any point in the U.S., Canada, Europe and China while providing high-speed Internet access. Great, but not extraordinary.
What truly makes the system interesting is an ability to plug into your car’s diagnostic port to monitor and display a number of vehicle parameters, including the need to perform maintenance work, while helping you improve your mileage and putting you inside Mother Nature's close circle of friends.
When the Eco-Drive screen is selected, the system displays your current miles-per-gallon, throttle position (as a 0-100 percentage), and pounds of CO2 emitted per mile.
All this information encourages you to modify your driving habits to minimize your fuel consumption and emissions. Each trip is logged upon completion, so you can go back and look at how you performed overall and what your tendencies are.
Moreover, if you go into Eco-Route mode, the system will select a route that will make your car burn as little fuel as possible rather than getting to your destination as fast as possible, like a regular GPS would do.
The Eco-Navigator currently retails for $249 in the U.S. Canadian adaptability and availability have yet to be determined. Let's keep our fingers crossed!
Source: Gizmag
Doubling as a GPS and eco driving assistant, Eco-Navigator shows routes to any point in the U.S., Canada, Europe and China while providing high-speed Internet access. Great, but not extraordinary.
What truly makes the system interesting is an ability to plug into your car’s diagnostic port to monitor and display a number of vehicle parameters, including the need to perform maintenance work, while helping you improve your mileage and putting you inside Mother Nature's close circle of friends.
When the Eco-Drive screen is selected, the system displays your current miles-per-gallon, throttle position (as a 0-100 percentage), and pounds of CO2 emitted per mile.
All this information encourages you to modify your driving habits to minimize your fuel consumption and emissions. Each trip is logged upon completion, so you can go back and look at how you performed overall and what your tendencies are.
Moreover, if you go into Eco-Route mode, the system will select a route that will make your car burn as little fuel as possible rather than getting to your destination as fast as possible, like a regular GPS would do.
The Eco-Navigator currently retails for $249 in the U.S. Canadian adaptability and availability have yet to be determined. Let's keep our fingers crossed!
Source: Gizmag