Ford Motor Company is placing the capability for more fuel efficient driving in the hands of the driver. The automaker is installing a new feature in its 2010 Fusion and Mercury Milan hybrids. The device is known as a "Smart Gauge" and will essentially coach people to drive in a more fuel efficient manner.
The inspiration is the group of auto-enthusiasts known as hyper-milers. These drivers take normal fuel-efficient vehicles and try and stretch the limits of how far they can go on limited amounts of fuel.
"We tried to create the ultimate coach, and good coaches are the people that don't point out the errors all the time," said Nancy Gioia, Ford's director of hybrid programs. "When you get it right, they say 'Well done, do that again." Gioia also said that they also wanted to make sure the system appealed to both regular drivers and the more technologically savvy.
Ford says that both the Fusion and the Milan hybrids will be able to drive more than 700 miles on a single tank of gas. With the new Smart Gauge attached, those numbers can only go up.
Source: Wall Street Journal