Drivers using the new Fuel Saver App from Bosch SoftTec GmbH can customize settings to help them to save money when refueling their vehicles at filling stations in Germany. The app offers drivers three different strategies—Thrift Driver, Time Watcher, or Money Collector—to choose from, depending on their own time preferences and money-saving goals. Based on information acquired from the vehicle’s fuel gauge, the Fuel Saver App determines which filling station along or near the chosen route has the best price.

The app can be used in any vehicle which provides fuel gauge information via onboard diagnostics (OBD). All that is required is an OBD Bluetooth adapter (available separately) connected to the vehicle and the Fuel Saver App. The app checks for the vehicle’s compatibility with the OBD interface and activates the Fuel Saver function.

• The Thrift Driver strategy emphasizes refueling at the lowest cost. However, the Thrift Driver’s willingness to take a detour only for the sake of the best price is not unlimited.
• So-called Time Watchers would like to save money, but also want to reach their destinations quickly and will accept only a short detour.
• Saving money is the Money Collectors’ overriding priority, so they are prepared to make a more substantial detour to a filling station with lower prices.

Once the app has located the filling station which best meets the selected criteria, the pre-installed basic navigation of the smartphone is launched. If there are changes in the route or fuel prices, the app, accessing the data of all German filling stations, conducts a search at regular intervals to identify a different filling station. Yet another feature is the calculation of total savings and visualization of the results at a glance so that drivers are given a feeling for how much they have saved on all driven routes.

If drivers want nothing more than an overview of current fuel prices at filling stations in Germany without the attendant calculation of a route, they can use the app’s “Surroundings Radar” showing the available prices.

The Fuel Saver App and additional details are available immediately in the Google Play Store for smartphones running Android 4.0 or later.