Fuel Economy Gage (Hybrid)

WARNING: This page is about a different car, the 2009 GMC Sierra, 2009 GMC Cab & Chassis Sierra, 2009 Chevrolet Silverado, and 2009 Chevrolet Cab & Chassis Silverado. However, it is still accessible from the selected car via links, so may be relevant.

The IPC displays the fuel economy as determined by the engine control module (ECM). The IPC receives a serial data message from the ECM indicating the fuel economy of the vehicle. There are several zones on the gage indicating different levels of efficiency. The gage shall indicate fuel efficiency when the engine is running and will be set at the minimum scale position when the ignition transitions to a mode other than when the engine is running. The gage will default to its half scale position when there is a loss of serial data communication with the ECM

The driver efficiency gage gives feedback to the driver of the hybrid vehicle as to how efficient they are driving. When driving in a way to optimize the fuel economy (e.g. gradually increasing the speed, slow braking, etc.), the pointer or indicator moves into a high efficiency band. When driving in an inefficient manner (e.g.starts, hard braking, constantly changing speeds, etc.), the pointer or indicator moves into a less efficient band. The gage spans several zones, corresponding to different levels of efficiency for acceleration and deceleration. As the indicator moves across the band, the driver receives directional feedback as to whether their driving style is moving towards or away from the desired fuel economy.