Ford's New SmartGauge with EcoGuide Gives New Meaning to Green Driving

Attention hypermilers: Ford's new SmartGauge with EcoGuide instrument cluster for the 2010 Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan hybrids is the latest way to ensure you get the most out of every drop of fuel. Color LCD screens on either side of an analog speedometer in the SmartGauge can be configured to show info such as fuel and battery-power levels and average and instant mpg.

And to let you know just how green you're driving, "growing leaves and vines track and reward the driver's efficiency."

Ford created the new dash display in conjunction with the design firms IDEO and Smart Design to allow hybrid drivers to quickly and easily see how their driving affects fuel economy. "We needed to create a system that better communicates with drivers and gives them the tools to maximize fuel efficiency," said Jeff Greenberg, Ford senior technical leader, in a press release on the new instrument cluster.

Ford claims the SmartGauge's EcoGuide uses a "multilayered approach to coach the driver to maximum fuel efficiency." One of four data screens can be displayed while driving:

• Inform shows fuel level and battery-charge status

• Enlighten adds an electric-vehicle mode indicator and tachometer

• Engage includes engine output power and battery output power

• Empower shows power to wheels, engine pull-up threshold and accessory power consumption.

The four levels of information can also be customized. For highway cruising a driver may only want basic info, whereas on surface streets, additional data can be displayed to help optimize fuel economy. A "shutdown" screen also allows reviewing information from the most recent trip, such as fuel economy and comparing mileage on previous days.

Long-term fuel efficiency can be displayed either as a normal chart or using a display that features "growing leaves and vines" on the right side of the cluster." And "the more efficient a customer is, the more lush and beautiful the leaves and vines" become, Ford says.

SmartGauge always shows instant fuel economy, fuel economy history, the odometer, engine-coolant temperature, the gear the car is in and trip data such time-elapsed fuel economy and miles to empty.

The SmartGauge will be available when the 2010 Fusion and Milan hit showrooms in the first quarter of 2009.

Posted by

Doug Newcomb October 29, 2008, 12:00 PM

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Car Audio and Electronics

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Car Technology, Ford, Ford Fusion, Hybrids, Hypermiling, Mercury, Mercury Milan

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