Pretty simple idea, really. If you're like me, you want to know how many miles per gallon (or for you metric-ites, km per litre) your car is getting. I reset my trip odometer every time I fill up, and make a habit of noting how many gallons I pump, and do a rough estimate in my head. Arghh, I should've brought a calculator. Or I'll just keep the receipt and figure it out when I get home. What a hassle!

Why can't there be an option to enter in the number of miles/km into the "pay at the pump" buttons, and just have that info printed out on the receipt after you've fueled up? This would be helpful for me and should be easy for gas stations to implement, since the only modification necessary is software.
-- jivetalkinrobot, Aug 26 2003

I use the calculator on my mobile phone to do this - it's always with me in the car anyway.

Or you could buy a car with a computer that calculates fuel consumption as you go.
-- suctionpad, Aug 26 2003


I'd like to see something similar: maybe a Bluetooth connection to my PDA in a "GasML" or some data format, to automatically download the location, date/time, $/gal, gal, and total price into my mileage database so I can track all of that more easily (I'm anal - I currently keep a log of all that information for every fillup in my glovebox).
-- scottbb, Aug 26 2003


I don't think gas stations will supply that service. Why would the annoy their best customers with data about poor performance of their car. It would be like a restaurant with a scale at the entrance that tells everyone how overweight s/eh is.
However, I would like to see a fuel gauge in my car that is more accurate. Then the gas station doesn't have to take care of of the measurement.
-- kbecker, Aug 26 2003


The car itself should do this.
-- waugsqueke, Aug 26 2003


Nissan put fuel MPG indicators in their 300zx's back in 84-89 which told you how many mpg you were getting. It was just on the fly and didn't keep track of it though. I'd like to see some auto manufacturer put something like this in a hayuge SUV!
-- tew, Aug 26 2003


I have a company fuel card and have to provide my mileage everytime I stop for fuel. If this can be done for those cards, then it could be done for credit cards too as the software is already within the tills.

However, in order to calc the mpg, you'll have to have some kind of dbase of reg plates, mileage and gallons (litres) of fuel. Assuming that you, like me, don't use the same petrol station each time, this would have to be a live, online, national dbase.

Can't see the petrol companies going for this because its just not in their interests.

Can't see consumers wanting this information enough to wish to pay, especially as my car already does this.
-- jonthegeologist, Aug 27 2003



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