In these days of inflated oil prices, the only place the average commuter seems to be driving is to the poor house. Or else the crazy house, for even choosing to drive at all.

It seems like a simple modification to make to the standard gas gauge to allow it to show the quantity of gasoline in the tank in dollars instead of the simplistic indicators of E (empty) or F (full).

To make this change, the gauge would require an input device of some kind such as a numerical keypad so the driver can manually update the changing price. A more advanced version would receive the data using an uplink to a service that provides such data.

The advantages of using this system include an enhanced ability to budget one's money, a constant awareness of the price of gasoline and would be useful for car poolers to repay their driver.
-- schmendrick, Sep 08 2005

Fuel Efficiency on Petrol Receipt Fuel_20Efficiency_20on_20Petrol_20Receipt
a related idea, though it lacks your Gas Price Gauge's "real time dollar value" feedback [joee, Jun 30 2006]

As opposed to a gas price gouge, commonly being applied in New Jersey.
-- DrCurry, Sep 08 2005


Here's an improvement of your idea: A total cost of driving gauge.

They did a survey a while ago that showed that the average driver underestimates the cost of running a car by as much as 50%.

I suggest a large display showing how much your trip is costing you, both in fixed and variable terms (a bit like a taxi meter). An algorithm would include depreciation (the cost most drivers forget), capital costs, petrol, insurance, repairs, road tax, tolls (direct via satellite), MOT and estimate the cost of the journey based on the driver's previous behaviour.
-- kinemojo, Sep 08 2005


Cars frequently have MPG calculator displays; perhaps a dollar conversion factor could be added.
-- RayfordSteele, Sep 14 2005


I like this idea. I'm not sure I would use it to budget my money, but I would appreciate having a constant, ambient awareness of the price of driving.

The uplink would work best if it happened at the time you purchased your gas. Bluetooth is cheap. I'd pay a little extra for gas at a gas pump that would transmit the information on the receipt to my car or PDA (which, to bake this idea, would then need the car to tell it how full the tank is).

Hybrid owners might be a good market. Many of them are interested in the cost of driving.
-- joee, Jun 30 2006


[+]

It would be better if the price could be somehow updated constantly (somehow -internet over 3G?), because you'd have the added ability to see your tank's price appreciate or depreciate as the oil markets changed.
-- monojohnny, Jun 30 2006



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