blue&me

What does the Chrysler-Fiat deal mean for us?

Chrysler LLC and Fiat S.p.A. recently announced that they've entered into a strategic alliance that Chrysler believes "provides significant strategic benefits that support our viability and long-term competitiveness." Translation: When the ink dries in April, Fiat will have bought a 35-percent stake in Chrysler.

The partnership will benefit both companies through platform and technology sharing. Fiat gets a boost from Chrysler in gaining a foothold in North America, and Chrysler gets a healthy infusion of cash. But the actual ramifications of the deal are unclear and subject to speculation.

Here's a taste of what … Read more

Fiat's eco:Drive teaches efficient driving

In the world of racing, everyone knows that the easiest way to get more speed out of a car is not to upgrade the car, but to upgrade the driver. The same goes for green driving. A driver trained in efficient driving can extract better fuel economy from a Honda Fit than a driver with poor technique in a Prius hybrid. Auto manufacturer Fiat thinks it may have found a way to teach drivers to get the best fuel economy out of their Fiat vehicles with the new eco:Drive program.

The eco:Drive program consists of a downloadable Adobe … Read more

Fiat revs up new free fuel tool

We've all heard the recommendations by now.

Proper tire pressure, removing the roof rack, closing windows above 50 mph, and using a car's air flow system before going straight for the AC can all lead to lowering a car's overall fuel consumption.

But exactly how bad are drivers when it comes to abruptly starting and stopping? And are they really shifting their manual transmission car correctly for optimizing fuel?

Fiat's new optional Eco Drive software will let its drivers know, the company announced earlier this month at the 2008 Paris Motor Show.

All Fiat drivers need … Read more

Blue, Me and Ford?

Earlier this week we spoke with Microsoft, who confirmed that they would be partnering with Ford on a new in-car tech initiative some time in the New Year. Beyond that, Redmond was pretty tight-lipped, declining to comment further on what shape the partnership would take. Well, thanks to Engadget, we now have a clearer idea. According to an article published today, Ford and Microsoft are planning to announce the availability of the Blue&Me in the United States with coinciding announcements at CES and the Detroit Auto Show.

Apparently, the system "will have cross-platform smartphone support (i.e., … Read more