Nissan trial aims to reduce fuel consumption by 20 per cent

Nissan is introducing a project in the UK that will aim to reduce drivers' CO2 emissions and fuel consumption by analysing their driving habits.

The Nissan Intelligent Driver Project (NIDP), an eight-month study that uses satellite navigation, mobile phones and telematics to analyse driving habits and suggest ways of improving fuel economy.

In a similar trial in Japan, drivers reduced fuel usage by an average of 18 percent, with comparable reductions in CO2 emissions, leading to fuel savings of around €350 per year.

Along with real-time fuel economy updates displayed to the driver via the vehicle’s satellite navigation screen, data from every trip is transmitted daily to the Nissan Global Data Centre for analysis.

This information is then published on a website that can be accessed by the drivers participating in the trial. The site allows drivers to compare their performance to other motorists driving similar vehicles, along with monitoring progress of their individual eco-driving techniques.

Drivers are rewarded with Bronze, Silver or Gold status, with the most fuel-efficient drivers awarded the Platinum ranking.

More than 100 Nissan Qashqai and Nissan X-TRAIL owners have been invited to participate in the trial. Their vehicles will be fitted with the special telematics equipment for the eight-month trial.

Data collected will be used in two ways – on-board and off-board. On-board, fuel economy information is relayed to the driver. By analysing the way the car is being driven, advice can be sent to the driver to promote fuel-efficient driving techniques.

Off-board analysis is available via the Internet site where the day’s mileage can be evaluated in greater detail and eco-training advice can be given. A driver’s performance can be measured against others driving identical cars, with competition helping encourage participants to improve their ratings.

“Nissan is taking a holistic approach towards sustainable mobility. Reducing CO2 by making our vehicles more efficient is just one element. Equally significant are the people behind the wheel,” said Minoru Shinohara, senior vice president, Technology Development Division Planning & Advanced Engineering Development Division.

“The Nissan Intelligent Driver Project will help our customers develop eco-driving techniques with a vision toward using them on every journey as a matter of course. We expect the UK programme to show that this is a practical, affordable and highly effective way of reducing vehicle emissions.”

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