Business Insider reviews Automatic, an app that turns your car into a smart car.
Just plug the Automatic dongle (called a Link) into your car’s OBD port and you’ll start getting a bunch of data about your driving logged into the companion app. Much of this data is ultimately meant to help you save money on gas.
It alerts you of driving habits that use more fuel unnecessarily.
For example, Automatic alerts you by making your phone chirp you when you brake roughly, drive 10 or more miles per hour over the speed limit, or accelerate too rapidly. By giving you a heads up about your bad habits, it helps adjust the way that you drive to increase fuel efficiency. Better fuel efficiency means money saved.
It gives you a score and lets you compete with other drivers.
The app gives you a daily and weekly score based on your driving, and compares your logged fuel economy with the EPA’s estimated value for whatever car you own. If you’re competitive, you’ll love the fact that you can track your driving score week-to-week, and that the app will tell you where you rank compared to other Automatic users throughout the country.
It remembers where you parked and detects engine issues.
Every time you park, the app also GPS-logs your location, so you never have to search hopelessly for your car in a huge parking lot again. Because the Link is plugged into your OBD port, it can sense when you have engine trouble, and can offer a potential diagnosis.
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