Honda's color-changing speedometer to drive out bad driving habits

So, you've a lead foot? What of it, right? Honda's hoping to make that bad little habit vanish by using the tried and true guilt trip method, or more specifically, the Ecological Drive Assist System. For starters, the technology's ECON Mode works with the CVT and engine to "support more fuel-efficient driving." The real kicker, however, is the color-based "guidance function" -- drive like a granny, your speedo lights up green, drive a little wilder, and things get a bit blue, and if you toss fuel economy to the wind and let 'er rip, expect a full-on blue screen and the voice of God to come thundering through your sound system instructing that those horses be held. The EDAS should appear in the automaker's Insight hybrid as early as Spring 2009, though there's no word if it'll be standard equipment on the rumored S3000.

[Leo @ Nov 26th 2008 9:55AM]

I'm sorry Dave... I'm afraid I can't do that.

[iEye @ Nov 26th 2008 6:05PM]

Exactly, but instead of just warning you with fuzzy colors, the car should actually reduce your speed, ie limit you to 50Km or when you are on the highway 60mph... this way no tickets and no speeding (unless you flip the overide switch)

[mickaloha @ Nov 26th 2008 10:02AM]

Wouldn't red make more sense? Blue doesn't say change your ways. Blue says I am a winner and should drive faster.

[Asvhockey88 @ Nov 26th 2008 10:08AM]

Well, they picked Blue cuz its a windows console.... and if you go to fast the car will just BSOD and then you're screwed.

[Freakin Ijit @ Nov 26th 2008 10:17AM]

Red is reserved for danger (oil gone, water pressure low, brake on, door open, etc), yellow for caution (tire pressure low, etc). Blue, green, etc are okay for other.

[Flashpoint @ Nov 26th 2008 11:15AM]

The Flashpoint plan:

GREEN = highest MPG/ efficiency
YELLOW = moderate MPG / half of all cylinders are activated
ORANGE = Low MPG/ all cylinders are activated
RED = Lowest MPS/ all cylinders are activated

*car chimes* every 10 seconds when you exceed 70mph

[erhan @ Nov 26th 2008 3:10PM]

@ Flashpoint

"car Chimes* every 10seconds"

That is R-e-t-a-r-d-e-d. No one would buy that.
no wonder it is called the "flashpoint plan"

[unityblue @ Nov 26th 2008 8:16PM]

Hmm - A GREEN light appears in front of the driver, and the driver accelerates, right through a RED TRAFFIC light, and turfs it in the intersection. Sounds smart.

All this, and they for some reason avoided the use of RED. BLUE is positive, not bad. Unless you BSOD of course.

[Roman @ Nov 26th 2008 10:04AM]

Blue is my favorite colour.

[Mobius_1 @ Nov 26th 2008 10:12AM]

Blue makes me feel serene ;)

[frauhottelmann @ Nov 26th 2008 10:04AM]

Mh, but I don't like green, so I guess I have to go faster!^^

[eggothewaffle @ Nov 26th 2008 10:04AM]

Jeremy Clarkson: COLORRRRRRRRR!

[kadajawi @ Nov 26th 2008 1:23PM]

James May: I think I know what to do at this point. COLOOORRRRRRR!

[eggothewaffle @ Nov 26th 2008 1:25PM]

That was such a great episode! While I can't say I was taken aback by how the Veyron did around the test track, it's still quite a surprise.

Then again, I've always been a fan of Pagani :]

[James @ Nov 26th 2008 1:27PM]

Actually, wouldn't Clarkson say, "COLOURRRRRRRRR"?

[eggothewaffle @ Nov 26th 2008 1:32PM]

Zing!

That's true; only a wannabe cowboy like Hammond would say it without the "u."

I love it when they do their gigantic road trips around America :]

[kadajawi @ Nov 26th 2008 1:32PM]

Crap, you've got us. Sure he would.

I was kind of surprised by the Veyron, I didn't expect it to perform that well... I was expecting Enzo'ish or GT-R'ish times.

[RAB Setup @ Nov 26th 2008 10:04AM]

Great idea! Now how do I disable ECON mode?

[Sudo @ Nov 26th 2008 10:07AM]

You must do this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oc8BUSOPfcY

[Mobius_1 @ Nov 26th 2008 10:14AM]

I'd rather take public transport than drive at a steady 56mph if I just wanted to get from A to B. Cars are becoming more and more unexciting these days.

[melloncollie @ Nov 26th 2008 10:27AM]

Yeah, people die less too.

[dervheid @ Nov 26th 2008 10:17AM]

Oi!
Honda!
NO!

[Harry Wagstaff @ Nov 26th 2008 11:38AM]

Speedos should be ROUND
They should STAY ROUND
And they'll BE ROUND FOREVERRRR

[inteller @ Nov 26th 2008 10:20AM]

In a Bugatti Veyron it turns up the music full blast and starts playing "Highway to Hell" by AC/DC

[inteller @ Nov 26th 2008 10:22AM]

Oh and the green mode in the Veyron plays "Loser" by Beck.

[Troels C @ Nov 26th 2008 10:24AM]

Brilliant! That might even work on me...

[der00 @ Nov 26th 2008 10:30AM]

That's all I need is God yelling at me, my wife is bad enough..

[blarvh @ Nov 26th 2008 10:31AM]

I hope this thing here understands that accelerating fast and then keeping that speed is more economic than to drive like a granny. If grannies accelerate slowly that is.

[kadajawi @ Nov 26th 2008 1:33PM]

Why was he low ranked? It's true. Accelerate as hard as you can (without revving too high) and then use the lowest possible gear.

[JerkfacedFed @ Nov 26th 2008 10:33AM]

forget fuel economy, it would be much more useful for the thing to use GPS and a service that knows the speed limit of the road you are currently on and turn red when you are over the speed limit. helps a lot in areas near highway ramps and resedential areas where it is not always posted often.

[Charles @ Nov 26th 2008 11:10AM]

I agree with you. The speed limit reminder would be much better than having a machine try to "shame" you into being green. But regardless, I don't ever want a computer ordering me around, anytime, anywhere. Particularly in a car that I already paid way too much for. Screw you SkyNet...

[kadajawi @ Nov 26th 2008 1:26PM]

Yeah. Like my GPS, which always gets it wrong (old data). And I'm using the latest maps. So, nice idea, but wouldn't work.

[Anthony @ Nov 26th 2008 10:38AM]

Honda cars sorta have this function now. You constantly see your MPG while you're driving so when you take off from a red light or are getting onto the freeway the mileage is low. When you're coasting along or paying attention it's way high. I think if they replaced the MPG w/ this I'd be just fine.

[alduron @ Nov 26th 2008 10:45AM]

I hope the speeding color is red. I would speed all the time to see the red glow.

[soulsaber @ Nov 26th 2008 11:19AM]

I think the civic si always shows it red.

[jimmy @ Nov 26th 2008 12:26PM]

Why the big 3 cant think of stuff like this, Why

[Jeremy W @ Nov 26th 2008 4:27PM]

Ummm, Ford announced a very similar system a while ago: http://www.autoblog.com/2008/10/29/video-ford-smartgauge-with-ecoguide-in-action/

[kharnellius @ Nov 26th 2008 10:55AM]

They should have made the "bad" color pink instead of blue. As it currently is driving "bad" seems to be more of a goal...especially since I'd rather have blue up there than green.

[PeriodicPoster @ Nov 26th 2008 11:05AM]

pictures of nude fat chicks when you speed. that would help.

[Andie @ Nov 26th 2008 11:29AM]

You can always close your eyes. That wouldn't help.

[substance90 @ Nov 26th 2008 12:13PM]

But I get horny when seeing nude fat chicks..

[NHAnimator @ Nov 26th 2008 11:14AM]

They still make the Insight?

[Anonymous Coward @ Nov 26th 2008 11:20AM]

to hell with blue, I've gone straight to plaid before.

[higeki @ Nov 26th 2008 11:21AM]

My stupid Sanyo Gorilla GPS does that. It's so lame. Whenever I go over 50 km/h, it turns orange and shows a cartoony orange leaf crying. WTF. Try going less than 50 km/h on Japanese freeways...some little kei car will pass you as it points and laughs.

[Rick @ Nov 26th 2008 11:24AM]

A digital speedometer is fine if you still have a large analog dial display. The Honda Civic has only the big digital display and that is one reason why I didn't buy one. Your brain spends too much time interpreting the digital speed display. With an anolog dial you only have to briefly glance at it, especially when trying to maintain a constant speed with the cruise control off.

Look at airplane cockpit instrument displays. Even with the all-glass cockpits they still have analog dial displays on them for important engine parameters.

[Tom Reinke @ Nov 26th 2008 11:26AM]

Wow, so... people in the Stock Class in the NASA Racing and SCCA are going to be pissed if they choose these Honda's for their cars.

[Cellien @ Nov 26th 2008 11:31AM]

I like the new Ford Fusion's dual full color instrument panel better. Plus, the growing leaves is WAY cooler. :)

http://www.autoblog.com/2008/10/29/video-ford-smartgauge-with-ecoguide-in-action/

[tedly @ Nov 26th 2008 11:50AM]

Cars schmars. Get a bike.

[absinthe party @ Nov 26th 2008 12:02PM]

Bikes smikes. Get a job so you can afford a car, hippie.

[tedly @ Nov 26th 2008 12:27PM]

Have another beer