Nissan Motor Co. Ltd. has announced that all upcoming models will be outfitted with a fuel efficiency gauge in order to give drivers more information on how their driving style directly relates to fuel economy.
The fuel efficiency gauge will also be equipped in current models scheduled for minor product freshening. The current model range includes the SKYLINE, LAFESTA and ATLAS in Japan, and the ALTIMA, INFINITI G35 in the US.
The gauge endows the driver with both instant fuel-efficiency and average efficiency readings. For instance, by pressing the gas pedal, the driver would instantly see an increase in fuel consumption reflected on the gauge. Based on Nissan’s trials, drivers have tended to improve their eco-driving habits over time, prompted by the real-time fuel-efficiency readings.
The Company claims that driving improvements including smoother acceleration and braking could potentially lead to an average 10% improvement in fuel efficiency. In January 2007, Nissan introduced the eco-driving information service through its CARWINGS navigation system to promote more economical driving habits.
CARWINGS services include listing the average fuel-efficiency of CARWINGS members on the CARWINGS website via monthly rankings and weekly web updates on green driving techniques.
The introduction of the fuel efficiency gauge is in line with the company’s overall efforts to launch a wide range of environmental technologies under the Nissan Green Program 2010 mid-term environmental action plan. Through the installation of the fuel efficiency gauge on the instrument-cluster as a standard feature on all new models, Nissan will extend the awareness of eco-driving to a wider driving audience.
Courtesy: Nissan
