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Toyota Introduces Eco Drive Indicator to Encourage Better Driving; Up to 4% Improvement in Fuel Economy
29 September 2006
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| Eco Drive Indicator. Click to enlarge. |
Beginning in October, Toyota Motor (TMC) will equip its new Japanese-market vehicle models using automatic transmissions with an Eco Drive Indicator, a feature intended to encourage environmentally considerate driving.
The indicator is designed to help reduce CO2 emissions through helping drivers increase their vehicles’ fuel efficiency through better operation.
Based on a comprehensive determination that takes into consideration such factors as accelerator use, engine and transmission efficiency and speed and rate of acceleration, the Eco Drive Indicator, located on the instrument panel, lights up when the vehicle is being operated in a fuel-efficient manner.
Toyota hopes this will raise driver awareness toward environmentally considerate driving and contribute to fuel economy.
Although results may vary depending on the level of traffic and conditions such as the frequency of starts from stop and of acceleration as well as distance driven, Toyota says that the Eco Drive Indicator can improve fuel efficiency by approximately 4%.
Toyota believes that sustainable mobility rests on three pillars: vehicles, the traffic environment and people. The Eco Drive Indicator represents one of TMC’s driver-awareness initiatives.
September 29, 2006 in Fuel Efficiency | Permalink | Comments (32) | TrackBack (0)
Comments
Posted by: fanboy | September 29, 2006 at 07:00 PM
I installed a nice MPG gauge (www.scangauge.com) on my car about a year ago, and like rj & fyiCO2, I now find gentle/slow driving much more rewarding! Also, seeing actual numbers provides far more detailed feedback than a simple "ECO" light can. By modifying my driving style accordingly, my average mpg went from 23.1 before to 25.7 after - an 11% improvement vs. the 4% that Toyota claims the ECO light will accomplish. However, while Toyota's motivation for installing a simple light vs. a real-time display is likely to be cost (as Rafael indicated), that shouldn't stop anyone from installing their own real-time display.
Posted by: Suman M Subramanian | September 29, 2006 at 10:09 PM
Things like the ECO light, would distract GM from the urgent business of
getting the Fool-Cell car into dealer showrooms by 2010.
Posted by: Dursun | October 01, 2006 at 02:53 PM
Did you mean "Fool-Sell"? :)
Posted by: Suman M Subramanian | October 02, 2006 at 12:31 PM
What the masses really need is a feedback tool for the gas pedal that instantly gives them a projected vehicle speed. Then the engine and drivetrain computer can deliver the chosen velocity in the most efficient manner. Rate of gas pedal application could be an input for more "spirited" acceleration. That way no extra bandwidth need be robbed from the cell phone call and coffee balancing act.
Posted by: John Schreiber | October 02, 2006 at 09:38 PM
dear sir,
nice to here this feature in vehicle.i am also doing the research on same topic i.e. Mileage Indicator.and have finished most of the work.
regards,
kuldeep saraswat,
Berlin(Germany)
Posted by: kuldeep saraswat | November 06, 2006 at 10:32 AM
Keep an eye on your mpg!
GasDandy is an easy-to-use tool that tracks a vehicle’s mileage and maintenance information, providing data that can be used for both business and personal purposes. By making these figures readily available, the program also gives the consumer the opportunity to save money and to proactively identify problems that can shorten the life of their vehicle(s). Download a free trial version of GasDandy today at http://www.gasdandy.com
Posted by: Dandy | September 06, 2007 at 09:25 AM
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Mark A wrote: I sure am glad this comes from Toyota, and not GM. If it were GM, the derogatory rants and raves would be boisterous. I guess since its Toyota, its a best thing, and one more way in which they lead the pack.
Well, Mark, it doesn't look like anyone is raving about how great this thing is just because Toyota did it. Maybe you should rethink your attitude. For what it's worth, GM did do something like this, a vacuum sensor, way back in the sixties.