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Let's start at the beginning: An MPG meter is a device that tells you how many miles per gallon your car is getting (or how many kilometers per liter, for those on the metric system). Some vehicles have this feature on their onboard computer with varying degrees of sophistication—for example, average MPG only, no real-time data—and some cars don't have any way to tell except by doing the math by hand.
That's where aftermarket MPG meters come in. There are many models out there, and once they are installed, they will tell you how fuel efficient your driving is. But it's not only "oh, that's interesting, now I know." Rather, if used properly, they become an active feedback mechanism that can help you save gas, save money, and pollute less.
How Does It Work?
The phenomenon is well known in hybrid cars. Most of them come with a nice LCD display that shows you in a very obvious way fuel economy data. Hybrid car drivers have reported that this feedback on their driving made them—consciously and unconsciously—modify their driving and improve their average MPG. Many even say it become like a game, with the high-score being the highest MPG possible!
Now that's the kind of game that we at Planet Green like!
But maybe you're thinking "I don't need an MPG meter, I save my gas receipts and write down how many miles I drive on each gas tank and I do the math, I know my average MPG!"
That's good! But the problem with this approach is that the feedback you're getting is not finely grained enough. With an MPG meter, you can see if maybe you are accelerating too fast from stop signs, making your MPG drop by a lot. You immediately get feedback, and can learn to do it better. With only the final average, you can't know which driving behaviors affect positively and negatively the outcome.
Aftermarket MPG Meters
That's why we recommend MPG meters, and we're not alone. The hypermiling community at EcoModder (they try to get the maximum fuel efficiency possible) also recommend them.
One product that gets good review is the ScanGauge II, but there are many others.
More Gas Savings Tips:
Adjust Your Hypermilling Habits for Winter Safety
Top 7 Ways to Reduce Your Driving Emissions without Reducing Quality of Life
Try these Eco-friendly Trains for Your Next (and Future) Trip
5 Reasons You Should Travel by Train
How to Buy a Fuel-efficient Car
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