EcoDrive collects all necessary data relating to vehicle efficiency and, through Blue&Me’s USB gate, transmits it into a normal USB key. The driver plugs this into a PC. The “EcoDrive” system presents the driver with detailed environmental performance of the car including the CO2 emission level for each trip. It analyses the driver’s style and then provides tips and recommendations on how to modify style to achieve CO2 reductions – and save money on fuel.

EcoDrive will encourage the driver to set himself challenges – CO2 reduction targets for specific journeys or over a set period of time. And in a community site will encourage all drivers to come together and pool their savings – working towards much bigger collective targets and showing that a lot of small contributions join to have a massive impact.

Like our CHI project, EcoDrive allows the user to set challenges and compare their progress with others. This social influence could be a powerful feature. A key difference of our project is that it offers real-time feedback displayed on the windshield during the act of driving. EcoDrive appears to be completely asynchronous, with feedback displayed on the home computer. However, given that Microsoft recently applied to patent a windshield head-up display, I wouldn’t be surprised if we do see a real-time eco-driving HUD hit the market in the near future.