What’s Your Kiwi Score? Device Trains You How to Save Gas
The PLX Kiwi dashboard computer plugs into your car and provides real-time info on how your driving habits affect gas usage — and how to correct them for maximum fuel efficiency.
There are lots of gas saver devices out there that claim to help you increase your car’s fuel economy. Most of them are of questionable effectiveness — to put it mildly — relying on such things as magnets, mini-tornadoes, and fuel tank pills. I’ve covered some of them in a previous post about potential fuel saving scams.
The sheer number of such questionable gas saving devices makes it difficult for the average person to distinguish the effectiveness of any single one of them. It also instills a general feeling of distrust that any of them could actually work.
So when something like the PLX Kiwi comes along, my first instinct is to count it guilty as a scam before its been proven innocent. But, as it turns out, that instinct has a high potential of being wrong in this case.
The Kiwi is a small dashboard computer that plugs into your car’s on board computer through the diagnostic port (called an OBDII/CAN port) which is typically located under the steering wheel. The OBDII port can be found on almost all cars manufactured after 1996.
The Kiwi displays all the real-time information available from your car’s computer, such as miles per gallon, speed and trip information. It can also tell you why that pesky check engine light has come on and turn it off for you if it turns out not to be a problem.
Using your car computer’s information, the Kiwi calculates four basic parameters associated with your driving style:
- Smoothness — How steady a speed are you driving?
- Drag — How much wind resistance your car is facing?
- Acceleration — Are you trying to get to warp 9, or are you Driving Miss Daisy?
- Deceleration — Do you have one foot on the brake and the other on the accelerator?
The Kiwi then combines your scores in these four categories and gives you a “Kiwi Score,” which tells you how well you are doing on maximizing your fuel economy.
The company claims that after training with the Kiwi, drivers can expect an average fuel savings of 20% — with increasing benefit if you do most of your driving on the highway.
Savings also depend on the size of your car (larger vehicles experience a greater benefit) and range from $500-$1000 per year given current gas prices in the US.
According to the company, the PLX Kiwi will be available later this month for US $299.
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Image credits: PLX Kiwi
Yup, found a couple — http://www.scangauge.com/buy/index.shtml
http://www.amazon.com/ScanGauge-Compact-Multifunction-Computer-Customizable/dp/B000AAMY86/ref=tag_tdp_sv_edpp_t
Now let’s see $299.00 for the device or $299.00 in gas?
Did I miss something or are they trying to make the next pet rock?
For me this would cost 4 tanks of gas. Or 12 pizzas. 12 pizzas or go 20% further on a tank of gas? Sorry I am going with the pizzas.
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Well for about $160.00 you can get a Scan Gauge II
which gives you more read outs like all your Volts, rpms, speed, temp, maf,timing, and much more and all this has as well and more.
For 1/2 the cost.
Rich
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I would pay $19.95 for this device.
has this device been tested by a reliable source such as Consumers Report or by some of the major manufacturers, such as Ford or General Motors. It would make a great add-on, given the price of gasoline today.
Thank you. What you need))