This is one we missed from the Paris car show earlier this month. Car maker Fiat has launched software that will analyse a driver’s fuel consumption and emissions on each journey and then advise them how to improve their driving to create less environmental impact, and cut their fuel costs. A bit like a virtual back-seat driver, but without the annoying nagging and running commentary, if you like.

The ecoDrive software works with the Blue&Me onboard computer system developed by Fiat and Microsoft. The software is free to download from Fiat’s website. The motorist collects the data on their bad driving habits by plugging a prepared USB stick into the Blue&Me system in their car. After the journey this is then plugged back into the computer for the ecoDrive software to analyse.

The software has a series of tutorials to help motorists improve their ‘ecoIndex’ score and Fiat claims more eco-friendly drivers can expect to reduce their CO2 emissions by 15 per cent and cut their annual car fuel bill by up to €200.

Initially the software is available for the Fiat 500 and Punto models and will be extended to the rest of Fiat’s Blue&Me-equipped models in 2009.

More on ecoDrive from Fiat’s website here.

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