After fuel shortages and long gas lines during the 1973-74 oil crisis, there came the wake-up call that greater fuel efficiency is important. Along with smaller cars, some automakers responded with basic mpg meters that could help drivers learn to drive more efficiently. These faded away after a time as fuel prices dropped and efficiency took a back seat to performance and safety.
Now they’re coming back with a vengeance as automakers are including a new generation of smart fuel efficiency computers in more new car models. It’s a popular feature that can help coach drivers to become more efficient behind the wheel. Importantly, with the price of gas today high and climbing higher, better efficiency directly translates to spending less money on the daily drive. Plus, automakers are getting our attention with the increasingly creative ways in which efficiency information is displayed.
Ford offers one innovative example. In an aircraft, the bright and colorful instrument panel in the Ford Fusion Hybrid would be called a ‘glass cockpit’ display. The use of high-quality LCD panels on each side of the speedometer enables Ford to graphically display vehicle information in an easy-to-read and fun way. It also allows a driver to customize and select information that’s meaningful for the driving conditions at hand. Drive efficiently and the SmartGauge display will even grow leaves on a tree to show you’re being kind to the environment.
How do fuel computers do their magic? The basic functionality is really quite simple. A car’s computer monitors fuel flow to the engine and calculates mpg by the speed the car is traveling. The mpg function is often built into a trip computer display, although some have more elaborate displays with fuel economy averages and graphs of past average mpg achieved. You can manually reset average fuel economy during a drive or when you fill up. Fiat’s eco:Drive USB port even allows downloading an array of operating data to a memory stick so driving habits such as acceleration, deceleration, gear shifts, and speed can later be analyzed on a personal computer, with recommendations on how to modify driving style for greater efficiency.
That kind of look-back information is helpful. But this is only an indication of the car’s overall fuel economy trend. When it comes to improving driving efficiency what you’re really looking for is an instant fuel economy reading.
Instant fuel economy information provides real-time positive or negative feedback that can be used to fine-tune driving style. While an instant fuel economy reading may have a slight delay, most are responsive enough so you can tell what kind of impact any movement of your right foot is having on gas mileage. Monitoring this number is a great way to train yourself to drive with a lighter and smoother touch on the accelerator pedal.
Driving for maximum mpg is fun and satisfying, especially when you figure how much money is being saved by driving more efficiently. Have an aversion to crunching the numbers? Doing the cash calculations for you is the next logical step.
In fact, the fuel computer in the new Prius c does just that. It calculates and displays on a Thin Film Transistor (TFT) screen the amount of money you’re saving as encouragement to drive more conservatively. Connecting fuel-efficient driving with conserving cash has never been easier.