The FINANCIAL -- In 2011 alone, the
Apple App Store reported more than 100 million downloads to phones and
iPads, according to General Motores.
Just as consumers embrace hand-held technology, studies show they want the same smart technology in their vehicles. Buick’s new eAssist Fuel Efficiency smartphone games seek to connect the two.
Available free in Android and Apple stores, the three games come bundled in a single app that offers a fun way to sharpen driving techniques and improve fuel economy.
The games focus on the key attributes of eAssist and how they can be used to stretch every gallon of fuel.
Regeneration Road highlights the regenerative braking feature of eAssist, which captures energy otherwise wasted during braking to repower the compact lithium-ion battery located beneath the car’s trunk floor. Players must make it through a town and to a destination without running out of fuel. Pedestrians along the way add difficulty.
Roll and Boost: The energy stored from braking can later be used for an added, emissions-free boost of acceleration, and using that energy wisely is key to this game. A beautiful weekend drive through a flowing countryside is limited to just one tank of fuel. The goal is distance, not speed, and battery management strategy is vital.
Wind Tunnel Tester allows players to become an automotive engineer. If a vehicle cuts through the air easier, eAssist’s other features don’t need to work as hard. By tweaking a car’s length and width on the screen, players can gain an understanding of how the sleek, modern shapes of Buick sedans help the car slice through the air. Aerodynamics-defeating extras like spoilers and roof rails can be added or removed.
Standard on the 2012 Buick LaCrosse and available on the Buick Regal, the eAssist light electrification system uses a compact lithium-ion battery pack and small electric motor to aid the performance of a fuel-efficient 2.4-liter gas engine. Both models achieve the same 36 highway mpg as a Mini Cooper and top larger full hybrids like the Infiniti M35h, rated at 32 mpg.
In addition to its fuel economy-boosting benefits, eAssist allows the gas engine to turn off completely when the car is sitting still. Energy gathered from the regenerative brakes and stored in the battery keeps the climate and audio systems operating, and the engine is able to restart without passengers taking notice.
Like the eAssist games, the driving experience in a Buick with eAssist is aided by an “Eco” gauge in the instrument cluster that indicates how efficiently the driver is operating the vehicle. The car’s infotainment screen delivers more advanced reporting of what the intelligent powertrain is doing.
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