Nissan's Carwings system connects all Nissan Leafs to a network, wirelessly feeding their energy economy statistics to a central server. The "Regional Rankings" system compares the driver's energy economy to other Leaf drivers in the region, and the winner receives a nifty gold trophy icon on the Carwings dashboard control center. The second, third and fourth place winners can also win a place on the graphical podium, receiving icons depicting gold, silver and bronze medals.
Originally available in Japan, the Carwings connected system uses crowdsourcing to enhance fuel economy, displaying real-time traffic predictions using data compiled from other Carwings users. Similar to GM's OnStar, the system features a live operator system offering 24-hour driver support.
What a great idea -- leveraging social networking to let other drivers know what's happening ahead. The concept resembles a device that originally pioneered crowdsourced navigation, the Internet-connected Dash Express that was discontinued in 2008 after less than a year on the market. Let's hope Nissan's crowdsourced Carwings system doesn't meet a similar fate.
The Nissan Leaf hit the streets earlier this month, featuring a 100-mile range and a $32,780 list price, about $8,200 cheaper than the Chevy Volt.
