May is National Eco-driving Month. The new app CarPrint helps drivers use less fuel by teaching drivers fuel-saving pratcies.
CarPrint is teaches users to eco-drive, a practice known to reduce fuel consumption by 10 to 20 percent without cutting back on distance traveled. The app tracks fuel use, speed, and distance traveled second-by-second to calculate the vehicle’s fuel economy and environmental impact.
Eco-driving is a well-established and simple concept. Truck drivers have been doing it for years to save fuel and it’s already quite popular among drivers around the world.
CarPrint ist turns eco-driving into a game. Drivers win by beating their vehicle’s fuel economy ratings for city and highway driving.
- The average driver spews about 5 tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere each year. Improving fuel economy by 20% keeps one ton of carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere.
- Using CarPrint helps drivers learn a more relaxed and mindful driving style that saves money and helps fight climate change.
The CarPrint app takes the boredom out of driving, reduces your carbon footprint, and saves you money.
Driving efficiently can not only save people money, but can reduce ozone pollution, which is a trigger for many lung health issues like asthma and lung cancer.
The app with the OBD device through the membership service shows a monthly trip calendar, suggests route ad locates the vehicle. You can buy a Bluetooth OBD dongle directly from CarPrint for $11.99 (it ships from Amazon for free). It looks like you can supply your own OBD device, as well. This makes it one of the least expensive OBD devices with apps available.
In honor of National Eco-driving Month, here are 8 eco-driving tips that reduce fuel consumption and air pollution.
- Cruise control – Minimizing speed variation saves fuel
- Anticipate traffic signals and other road users
- Relax– Chill out; weaving through traffic wastes fuel
- Plan – Use Google Maps or Waze to avoid heavy traffic
- Reduce speed – Limit high speeds over 65 mph
- Idling gets you ZERO MPG
- No extra weight – Don’t use the trunk for storage
- Tires – Keep them inflated and rotated as directed
To track users’ eco-driving progress, the app uses an on-board data (OBD) scanner paired with the driver’s Android or iOS mobile phone or tablet. The scanner plugs into the OBD port near the steering wheel and transmits driving data via Bluetooth to the driver’s mobile device. From there, data is uploaded to CarPrint, where numbers are crunched and shown to players.
The Android or iOS app are free. For the app to work you need to pair it win a OBD device. For a limited time those who sign up get free lifetime membership.
I disagree. If people don’t know when they’re accelerating too quickly, they can look at their instant MPG gauge, available in all new cars. I also think too much emphasis is placed on after market instrumentation that aims to teach drivers when they’re accelerating quickly. Most people can feel the acceleration and can see the results on their speedometer. Eco-driving involves doing 10 or 12 things a little differently and keeping at it. Examples include using cruise control, anticipating traffic signals and paying close attention to other road users, reducing idling, planning when and which routes to drive, etc. FULL DISCLOSURE: i am the developer of the CarPrint app. Give it a try and see what you think.
Your tips may encourage some drivers to understand the benefits of eco-driving.. however, none of your tips tells them how and when. There is a new car instrument indicating when the car has enough inertia to allow the driver to release the gas pedal to move the car on its own inertia (a free universal force) instead of using the car’s engine. What you are doing is to try selling a Color TV to a blind person. Your application is a good thing and will help but will not teach a driver when to eco-drive.
You are right. The average driver has no knowledge that his car can go without the engine support. He must break the kind of prejudice/doubt to stop the constant pressure of the gas pedal. A good driver likes a heavy, loaded car because once you speed up the mass and then you can use her inertia.