At first sight…
It looks like your daughter’s iPhone or Sidekick lying around. But this little device turns out to be so much more! The PLX Kiwi device, technology developed in Silicon Valley, helps you drive more efficiently. Sure, your dash most likely contains an LED display detailing your MPG reading (or maybe it doesn’t), but the Kiwi (named for the green fruit because it’s a green, energy-saving device) maximizes this feature to the max. potential.
Pretty easy to use,
all you have to do is plug it under your dash, behind your steering column in a spot where there is a plug with holes in it. This is where the Kiwi gets his power and data from him. The installation process takes only a few seconds and Kiwi works with any vehicle from 1996 onwards. It is also compatible with not only gasoline, but also alternative fuels such as diesel, ethanol, E85, CNG, methanol, and LPG. Once mounted on the dash or windshield, Kiwi’s Drive Green feature works like a kit. Your ultimate goal is to get the highest “Kiwi Score” (watch out, video game fans!). Doing so will maximize your MPG.
Let’s say you drive for ten minutes with Kiwi installed…
It monitors how you drove and tells you whether you passed or failed with scores ranging from zero to 100. As you become more familiar with Kiwi, you’ll improve your skills to drive your vehicle more environmentally friendly. On a daily basis, Kiwi will show you how much gas money you saved compared to the last trip you saved with Kiwi installed. Over time, you can keep track of the hundreds of dollars saved throughout the year. There is also a main Kiwi feature where you can just monitor your acceleration and deceleration, giving you an overall Kiwi score to show you how much you are saving. But the Drive Green feature is more fun and competitive, with a number of different levels. Have fun… while driving?
Apparently that’s not all.
Navigate the colorful menu system to see LOTS of Kiwi features. Kiwi can display your vehicle’s MPG in much more detail than your vehicle, as well as diagnose check engine light warnings and give you other engine data. For example, it will tell you what the code is and what your engine check means, for example if you need an oil change. Imagine saving a few bucks without having to ask the mechanic to do it. Does she cook dinner and change the baby too (No? Damn)?
Green Features:
Daily use of PLX Kiwi will also reduce your carbon dioxide footprint by 2 tons per year, the equivalent of changing 500 regular light bulbs to energy efficient light bulbs in your home. In the average home, your vehicle is the main contributor to global warming gas, carbon dioxide. An average new 4-door sedan driving 15,000 miles per year produces about nine tons of CO2. To put it in perspective: an adult African elephant weighs six tons. Using Kiwi and driving “greener” will prevent about 2 tons of CO2 from being emitted into the atmosphere.
cons?
Apparently, driving more efficiently may mean driving a little slower. For those speed demons, this may be a rude awakening, but your wallet will thank you. Did you know that if you drove 55 miles per hour instead of 80 mph, you would save 20 percent on your gas costs? According to fueleconomy.gov, driving safely and sensibly and obeying the speed limit can improve fuel efficiency by up to 33%. Aggressive driving, such as rapid acceleration, speeding, and hard braking, wastes gas. The PLX Kiwi reminds you not to drive like a lead foot.
All in all…
The PLX Kiwi sounds like technology that will help both the environment and your pocketbook. At a price of about $300, the average owner of a standard car can expect to save about $600 a year on fuel. For SUV or truck owners, the estimate is about $800 a year. But that’s the average. The challenge is to see if you can get a perfect Kiwi score and push those savings numbers even higher. In short, an ecological product that is beneficial for you and for the planet is not bad.