Technology can do a lot to improve fuel economy, but in the real world, changes in driving technique can also pay off with fuel savings.
This latest fuel-saving measure uses the former to encourage the latter.
Automotive supplier Bosch now has a "smart" gas pedal that uses haptic feedback to tell drivers when to shift in order to keep an engine operating economically.
DON'T MISS: Bosch eClutch: Cheaper, More Fuel-Efficient Automated Manual Gearbox (Feb 2015)
Called the "active gas pedal," it can also vibrate when it determines the driver is leaning on the throttle too heavily as a way of encouraging restraint.
These features can help cut fuel consumption by up to seven percent, Bosch claims.
In a sense, Bosch's gadget could be considered a more elaborate version of the accelerator detent in the Audi A3 Sportback e-tron plug-in hybrid.
Various hybrids and plug-in hybrids have also used graphics on gauge clusters or infotainment displays to try to coach drivers into more economical behavior.
ALSO SEE: Why CVTs Won, Direct-Shift Gearboxes Lost Fuel-Economy Fight (May 2014)
But Bosch has other uses in mind for this piece of technology.
The active gas pedal can also be networked with other vehicle systems--as well as apps--to enable different forms of feedback for the driver.
In hybrids with the ability to coast, the pedal can alert a driver when to take his or her foot off the gas. Bosch claims coasting can be used on around 30 percent of trips.
Fuel gauge
When linked to a car's navigation system, it can remind drivers of particularly curvy sections of road, or alert them to the need to take an alternate route.
MORE: Bosch 48-Volt Mild Hybrid: Cheaper Way To Boost Efficiency 15 Percent? (Sep 2015)
It can even read road signs. Connecting the pedal to cameras and the speed-limit-information systems on some cars allows it provide a friendly reminder when drivers get too exuberant.
Bosch won't discuss availability of the active gas pedal at this time, and no carmaker has publicly talked of plans to offer it in future models.
_______________________________________________
