Buick launches eAssist game for iPhone and Android phones
Smartphone apps are wildly popular, and automakers are taking advantage of the technology to integrate automotive technology and handheld technology to meet these new consumer demands.
Buick has released three new apps for both Apple and Android app stores that come bundled as the eAssist Fuel Efficiency games, which help drivers improve gas mileage and driving techniques.
“Consumers today want purposeful technology in the products they buy,” said Tony DiSalle, U.S. vice president of Buick Marketing. “Buick is offering exactly that with fuel-saving eAssist,”
The first of the three apps is Regeneration Road, which focuses on the regenerative breaking, reflecting the amount of energy that would be wasted in a standard vehicle that eAssist reuses as power for the car’s lithium-ion battery. The object of the game is for players to make it through town before running out of gas.
Second in the bundle is Roll and Boost, a game that challenges players on a distance run using one tank of gas and good battery management. This is to show owners how the energy conserved can be later used for an energy boost.
Wind Tunnel Tester is the last of the three apps that gives you the opportunity to be an automotive engineer and modify the car’s dimensions, showing how important aerodynamic design is.
“The driving force behind eAssist’s development was to make great vehicles like the LaCrosse and Regal even better,” said Dan Cottrell, General Motors assistant chief engineer for the eAssist powertrain. “With eAssist we can improve both vehicle performance as well as fuel economy.”
The games come to life on the dash in vehicles like the LaCrosse and Regal models with eAssist information reflected via and “Eco” gauge, allowing drivers to see how efficiently they are operating the vehicle.
– By: Alexandra Koken
