Speech-Enabled App Delivers Real-Time Trip Feedback to Help Consumers Improve Fuel Economy Wins Ford Fuel Economy App Challenge

PHOENIX--October 20, 2013:

Fuel economy is the most important factor in selecting a vehicle, says recent research,* but everyday driving MPG varies wildly from EPA ratings. There has been no easy way to get feedback on mileage variances. Now, a new Android app, ecoTRX Pro, provides real time information to help users achieve better fuel economy.

ecoTRX Pro last week was named a winner in the Ford App challenge. The app, which now supports all vehicle brands, gives users immediate spoken information on how their driving choices affect fuel economy, providing metrics for city versus highway driving and a running tally of the trip fuel cost.

During a trip, ecoTRX Pro merges data from the vehicle’s onboard diagnostics (OBD-II) port, GPS, and NOAA to measure and report the key behavioral and environmental factors that affect fuel economy. For example, ecoTRX Pro automatically detects when a user is in city driving mode and tracks the average miles per stop.

ecoTRX Pro also warns users about fast starts and hard braking, so they can learn more economical driving behaviors. At trip completion, ecoTRX Pro congratulates users who beat their EPA ratings or achieve a personal best MPG level. Users can save a “virtual award” image of their MPG achievement for sharing via email or social networks.

ecoTRX Pro displays a list of trips completed since the last tank fill, which are color coded to easily compare MPG performance on different commute routes or commute times. The app also supports sharing data on the EPA My MPG site. Users can see how their MPG ranks compared to others with the same vehicle.

ecoTRX Pro is compatible with devices running Android 2.3.3 or higher with GPS and a mobile network data plan. ecoTRX Pro supports OBD-II equipped vehicles (any sold in the U.S. since 1996) with gasoline engines, which have Mass Air Flow sensors and an OBD-Bluetooth adapter, available on Amazon.com and elsewhere. ecoTRX Pro is available in the Google Play store for $2.99. A free version with more limited features is also available. More info, including a video, is at ecoTRX .