Stripped from Honda’s press release:
American Honda Motor Co., Inc., today announced that a new interactive, driver-focused fuel economy enhancement technology named the Ecological Drive Assist System (Eco Assistâ„¢) will debut on the new Honda Insight in spring 2009. Eco Assist combines multiple functions: the driver-activated ECON mode that optimizes control of the continuously variable transmission, engine and related powertrain components to conserve fuel; and a feedback function that uses speedometer background color to provide real-time guidance on environmentally responsible driving. An economy scoring function further provides feedback about current driving techniques, as well as feedback on cumulative, long-term driving style.
Activated by a green “ECON” button on the instrument panel, ECON mode optimizes control of the transmission, engine and other powertrain elements to conserve fuel. ECON mode also adjusts air conditioner operation, increases the potential for engaging the idle stop feature sooner and increase battery charging during regenerative braking.
The guidance function uses the speedometer background’s color-changing, three-dimensional appearance to indicate fuel efficiency in real time. Fuel-saving activities like smooth acceleration and braking make the meter glow green. Somewhat less efficient driving makes the meter glow blue-green. Aggressive starts and stops that consume extra fuel make the meter glow blue. By observing the speedometer background’s response to driving practices and seeking to achieve a consistently green color, drivers can receive assistance in developing driving habits that typically enhance fuel economy.
The scoring function provides feedback about current driving practices, as well as cumulative, long-term feedback tracking progress. Located in the center of the instrument panel of the all-new Insight, the Multi-Information Display offers drivers a selection of informational displays, including the scoring function, in which the number of ‘leaves’ displayed indicates the level of environmentally responsible driving performance. When the ignition switch is on, the display scores driving practices in real time. When the ignition switch is turned off, the ‘leaves’ in the top line of the display score driving in the just completed cycle (startup to shutdown), while a horizontal bar in the lower part of the display scores cumulative lifetime performance.
What’s interesting here is the visualization design: first, they are using an ambient display–the speedometer’s background color changes based on fuel efficiency; second, they are applying “scoring” mechanisms both to abstract some of the complexity in measuring efficient behaviors as well as, I’m guessing, to allow for competition and gaming principles to motivate behavior; third, the scoring function changes an abstract “leaf-based” interface.
It’s also interesting that Honda designed the system to be optional–the system must be turned on by pressing a button (e.g., opt-in). Carrie Armel quoted research at BECC2008 about how opt-out systems have much better participation than opt-in. Why? For a number of reasons, but primarily because it takes action to opt-in to something and no action to stick with the default, the default also tends to reflect a social norm, people procrastinate, and, finally, people value things more that they have than they don’t have. I’m curious, then, what detrimental effect Honda feels like the ECON mode has on the driving experience (Honda must think it has some negative effect or they wouldn’t provide a button to turn it on/off)? And, how segment of their market do they expect to use the ECON button? Isn’t the primary buyer of a Honda Insight interested in green behavior? For those who are not so environmentally-motivated, how can user comfort and expectation be balanced alongside environmentally friendly driving behavior?
