By Seth Wilde – Product Specialist
2010 Introduced many new technologies that have enhanced the mobile electronics industry. One such technology is the environmentally friendly navigation systems that Kenwood and Pioneer have developed. The ECO Graph from Pioneer and Eco Route guidance from Kenwood both offer a new solution for those that want to monitor their environmental footprint. Both of these features are found in the newest built-in navigation units, as well as some of the add-on navigation modules. Stereos such as the Pioneer AVIC-X920BT and the Kenwood DNX6160 have the Eco navigation features built-in. If you are looking to add on the GPS navigation to your unit, modules such as the KNA-G610 will add the Eco-Route feature to stereos that otherwise do not have this feature.
The Eco-Graph and the Eco-Route offer the user a perfect way to monitor the environmental influence that your car has. The navigation system can help you save money, while reducing the estimate emissions and fuel usage. In conjunction with AVIC Feeds, the Pioneer units will report on the drivers impact on the environment, CO2 emissions, estimated fuel costs, reports on how to improve the fuel efficiency, a drive score that rates how green the current drive route is, and many other features. One of the most interesting features on the Pioneer is the fuel consumption algorithm, which allows the system to log and archive data and analyze driving habits in order to provide solutions to driving more efficiently. Similar to the Pioneer navigation units, the Kenwood Eco-route provides the same basic information in order to reduce the overall carbon footprint of the driver. The goal of this Eco navigation technology is to help the user get to their destination fast, while reducing the overall emissions of the vehicle. Each unit has a simple and easy to use interface that allows the user to easily navigate and view their reports. Both the navigation interfaces are available in a 2D and 3D visual representation of their navigation, as well as their environmental impact. For going green, check out the new environmental navigation devices from Pioneer and Kenwood.