March 03, 2005
MPG-meters in all cars
I've been meaning to write something about fuel-efficiency feedback in cars for a while. Recently Jamais from WC wrote something that reminded me of the idea:
Now there's something inexpensive that could be fitted on all cars and make a big difference. I believe that this would lead to much saner driving habits from all the well-intentioned people out there that just don't realize the impact that their driving habits have on the fuel-efficiency of their cars.
You might have a Civic with a fairly efficient 1.7 liters engine, but if you accelerate abruptly, stop at the last minute, vary your speed constantly and never coast, you could get worse mileage than someone with a much bigger car driven properly. The sticker MPG isn't what you will get driving any way. You can get much worse mileage easily, and better mileage if you are careful.
I believe that MPG-meters in all cars would make a huge different overall in fuel-efficiency, just like the speedometer allows you to know how fast you are really going and ajust your driving accordingly. With a MPG gauge in all cars, people would know that they are getting crappy mileage, and they'd see the effect of racing from stop signs to the next red-light. A minority of people would not change their driving habits, but most people want to spend less on gas, not more.
One important reason why hybrid cars result in better mileage is that drivers suddenly have an indication of how various aspects of their driving habits shape mileage. Hybrid mailing lists are filled with people taking about "driver break-in periods" as new drivers, given immediate feedback from the car, learn how to drive in a mileage-optimal fashion. Most hybrid drivers see a steady improvement in mileage over the first year because of this. -Jamais Cascio, WorldChanging.
Now there's something inexpensive that could be fitted on all cars and make a big difference. I believe that this would lead to much saner driving habits from all the well-intentioned people out there that just don't realize the impact that their driving habits have on the fuel-efficiency of their cars.
You might have a Civic with a fairly efficient 1.7 liters engine, but if you accelerate abruptly, stop at the last minute, vary your speed constantly and never coast, you could get worse mileage than someone with a much bigger car driven properly. The sticker MPG isn't what you will get driving any way. You can get much worse mileage easily, and better mileage if you are careful.
I believe that MPG-meters in all cars would make a huge different overall in fuel-efficiency, just like the speedometer allows you to know how fast you are really going and ajust your driving accordingly. With a MPG gauge in all cars, people would know that they are getting crappy mileage, and they'd see the effect of racing from stop signs to the next red-light. A minority of people would not change their driving habits, but most people want to spend less on gas, not more.
