Fiat and Chrysler create global alliance. Why is this interesting?

Fiat is a leader in economical small cars with associated lower environmental footprint. The trend is away from large gas guzzlers of the past and Chrysler is getting on board.

But why I wanted to point this particular news item out is it is an excuse to mention EcoDrive.

Developed with Microsoft technology, EcoDrive is the world’s first device that interacts directly with drivers and can help them change their driving habits in ways that can reduce auto emissions.

EcoDrive is built on Blue&Me, a Bluetooth-based system developed jointly by Fiat and Microsoft that gives drivers hands-free control over digital music players, mobile telephones, and other devices. In Fiat cars equipped with Blue&Me, the EcoDrive system assesses the driver’s driving style during a normal driving day. The way a driver accelerates, brakes, and shifts is automatically measured and analyzed against the car’s fuel economy and exhaust emissions

EcoDrive illustrates the potential of software technology to reduce auto emissions worldwide. In the U.S., for instance, automobiles account for about one-quarter of annual emissions of carbon dioxide, the gas primarily responsible for global warming. Growing auto markets such as those in China and India will contribute greatly to that output. The reduction of emissions by 20 or even 10 percent through better driving habits would make a huge contribution to automakers’ efforts to produce more environmentally friendly cars.