Eco Scores and Eco Guide

[JustinZorz]

Greetings Insight drivers,

I've been working on a project investigating the effectiveness of fuel economy displays in facilitating fuel efficient driving. We've become interested in the Honda Insight MID as it provides a variety of information.

Within the MID the eco-scores are not clear to us. We can't seem to figure out what the leaves mean. I've read several blogs and articles online about this and have learned that the leaves are a trip measure of fuel economy. At the start of a drive the leaves are not present and during the drive the leaves populate, because of this we're assuming that the eco-scores are based on how fuel efficiently the car is being driven. The more leaves you generate the more fuel efficient the drive was... right?

Other types of trip fuel economy displays present a rolling average mpg per trip. Here, at the beginning of a drive the display shows 0mpg then, during the drive this number increases to somewhere near the vehicles average fuel economy.

These two ways to present fuel economy are different (right?)

do any of you know how Honda calculates fuel efficiency to get the eco-score? Even an educated guess will help. How do you drive fuel efficiently to get more leaves?

Many thanks!

[jpleong]

Originally Posted by JustinZorz

Within the MID the eco-scores are not clear to us. We can't seem to figure out what the leaves mean. I've read several blogs and articles online about this and have learned that the leaves are a trip measure of fuel economy. At the start of a drive the leaves are not present and during the drive the leaves populate, because of this we're assuming that the eco-scores are based on how fuel efficiently the car is being driven. The more leaves you generate the more fuel efficient the drive was... right?

Other types of trip fuel economy displays present a rolling average mpg per trip. Here, at the beginning of a drive the display shows 0mpg then, during the drive this number increases to somewhere near the vehicles average fuel economy.

These two ways to present fuel economy are different (right?)

do any of you know how Honda calculates fuel efficiency to get the eco-score? Even an educated guess will help. How do you drive fuel efficiently to get more leaves?

The MID actually allows you to choose which method of coaching you wish to use (or none at all, if you prefer). There are three primary screens, 1) eco-score meter (the leaves), 2) Avg economy + instant fuel economy (represented with a number and a segment meter respectively), and 3) trip economy record (a progression of bar graphs recounting the last three trips you took plus the current trip).

The leaves rely on more than just fuel economy, it *somehow* also factors in acceleration & braking and whether or not you utilized the Eco button. As you "level up" the equation proportions change and it becomes more difficult to get a full count forcing you to drive even more efficiently than you had before. The leaves can be coupled with the HUD speedometer green-teal-blue display. The longer you hit blue, the greater you risk losing a leaf. Staying green for most of the trip will ensure a full-leaf trip result. These results are added up over time (you can see the "progress bar" at the bottom of the Eco Score screen). The Eco Score screen also contains the "football match" screen which looks like a soccer/football field. A bar graphic, mirroring the charge/assist gauge, moves from left to right depending on braking or accelerating. The purpose is to keep the bar out of the end goals (the goals equaling inefficient driving technique).

Ummm... after typing (and, I'm sure, overexplaining) this I remembered that Honda has a nice "how to" about the MID: 2010 Honda Insight Hybrid - Eco Assist - Official Honda Web Site

Check that out and see if makes sense. We can answer if you still have questions...

JP

[JustinZorz]

Interesting.

We were actually trying to mimic the trip Eco Score leaves for one of our studies. I don't think we will be able to adequately copy the leaves because it seems so complex as its tied to so many things.

I'm curious, out of all the fuel economy related information features in the Insight what do you find to be useful? Which features do you use? Do your needs change (do you use the EcoGuide with the goals in different situations than you use the instantaneous mpg display, toggling back and forth)?

[jpleong]

You may want to post a poll for your updated question -each person will certainly find some screens more useful than others.

As for me, I usually keep it on the IMA system monitor (the display of the car and power source condition). I use this to monitor the engine and IMA states and adjusting my driving so that the gas engine is used as little as possible. The only other MID screen I use fairly regularly is the fuel economy record to see how my driving compares with the last few trips I took. If I want to know hard numbers I will briefly glimpse at the avg/realtime MPG screen.

I find the Eco Assist/Score screen repetitive (as the HUD/Speedometer and Charge/Assist gauge already cover that information) though I do check my leaf score every time I turn the car off (it pops up automatically). The Eco Assist and Avg/Realtime MPG screen are also a little too distracting for me. I find myself looking at them trying to read numbers or to keep the bar from running into the goals rather than the road if they are the selected MID screen. The IMA system monitor is the easiest to see out of my peripheral vision (and, as I said before, is the most useful to me).

My wife almost never uses the MID and when she does, it's usually the avg/realtime MPG screen. She relies solely on the HUD/Speedometer color arch.

JP

[donatom3]

My dad just picked the car up Sunday. On his first drive into work he pulled off 47 mpg according to the MID. It's a 100 mile round trip drive, in Southern California. He even hit traffic getting close to the airport. He accomplished this by solely focusing on the color arch in the speedometer. He's not technically savvy, so this is easy for him and pretty much self explanatory. Green you're driving good for gas, blue you're not.