One of the most significant expenses when we have a car is certainly the cost of fuel, which inevitably affects the monthly and annual expenditure. Refueling is essential to be able to keep circulating, but nowadays we can help ourselves with some simple smartphone apps, which can help us reduce the consumption of petrol or any other fuel (diesel, LPG or methane). In this guide we will show you the best apps useful for reducing gasoline consumption, planning precise refueling, checking the state of the car and (on more modern hybrid cars) checking the state of the batteries, so as to evaluate the consumption made with the part car thermal.
READ ALSO: Find the Italian petrol pumps with the lowest prices
App to consume less petrol
Below we have collected the best apps that a motorist can install on his smartphone in order to monitor fuel consumption and plan refueling in a targeted way, so as to save a lot in the long run. Some apps are available for both Android and iOS, while others are exclusive to a single mobile operating system.Drivvo (Android and iOS)
The first app that we would recommend is Drivvo, available for free for Android and iOS.
Using this app we will be able to keep under control all the expenses of a car (including repairs and insurance and stamp duty) but in particular we can keep fuel costs at bay, thanks to the refueling registration system, which will send a notification when we need to refuel (especially if we set up a trip or decide to keep shopping within certain limits).
With the same app we can generate complete reports on refueling, expenses and services, complete with detailed graphics, which we can also save as a file locally or share. The effect of saving fuel with this app is minimal, but using it with the right criterion will allow you to save thanks to the refueling plans.
Petrol prices (Android and iOS)
One of the most effective apps for reducing gasoline consumption is Petrol Prices, available for Android and iOS.
The saving effect on this type of app is very evident: instead of keeping car consumption at bay, we can choose to carry out the next refueling at the service station which shows the lowest possible price, so that for the same Euro spent we can make more kilometers. The app allows you to choose all the main types of fuel (petrol, diesel, LPG and methane) and will show you the updated prices on the map, from which we can also set the route to be followed through the navigation functionality. Particularly useful if we own an LPG or CNG car, since the filling stations for these two fuels are more difficult to find in the city.
Fuelio (Android)
One of the best apps that we recommend you try is Fuelio, available for free only on Android devices.
With this app, simply enter the model of the car and accurately indicate each refueling carried out: it will create a register of fuel costs, using an algorithm based on the full tank (the data are obtained directly from the app) to calculate fuel consumption . Thanks to this feature, the app can calculate how many liters of fuel we have consumed between one refueling and the next. When purchasing fuel, simply enter the amount spent and the value displayed on the odometer. The app will calculate the efficiency in terms of consumption, manage a purchase register and present graphs and statistics on the data entered.
The app provides statistics like the total and the average of refueling and fuel costs. For example, if we have traveled more kilometers than those estimated by the app (we can use the car's temporary odometer as a reference), we will have the certainty of having brought the car with a very economical drive; if, on the other hand, we have traveled fewer kilometers than we expected, we have driven recklessly or we have encountered a lot of traffic, consuming more petrol.
With this app, fuel economy becomes much more evident, even if we still have to fill in the fields manually to make the algorithm work well.
BlueDriver OBD2 Scan Tool (Android and iOS)
If we are looking for a really effective app to reduce fuel consumption, by directly controlling the engine control unit, the only one that we recommend you install is BlueDriver OBD2 Scan Tool, available for Android and iOS.
By taking advantage of the OBD2 socket present on most modern cars (and the special Bluetooth adapter) we will be able to obtain a complete diagnosis of our car, thus monitoring consumption on the road, in the city or in mixed. If there are problems in the fuel system, we will certainly have higher consumption and spend more. With this app we can also monitor our driving style, so as to understand if we are driving "too hard" or if we are driving well, allowing us to save a lot of fuel.
The impact of this app can be determined between a car that consumes little and one that consumes a lot, but we must be very good at reading the data (better get help from a trusted mechanic in the case).
Hybrid Assistant (Android only, for hybrid cars)
If we own a hybrid car, we recommend installing the Hybrid Assistant app on your smartphone, available only for Android.
By installing this app and a compatible OBD scanner, we will be able to monitor the battery charge, the efficiency of energy recovery braking and the temperatures of the engine and batteries (very important for saving fuel). On hybrid cars we consume petrol only when the battery is low or we travel at high speed: to save money, just check the energy recovery graphs carefully and make the most of the characteristics of the electric motor, so as to increase the time between refueling (already very high on hybrid cars).
Conclusions
Using the right app we can increase the kilometers traveled by car, planning refueling based on our driving style and the car we use. Combined with the low prices from the selected distributors, economic driving and OBD scanner, the savings will be even higher, leading us to almost double the kilometers traveled with the same amount of fuel (a lot also depends on the traffic, the external temperatures and the wear level of the 'car).Do not forget, moreover, that it is possible to calculate the costs of gasoline on the directions of Google Maps and that the GPS navigator Waze indicates in the map the prices charged by each petrol pump in the surrounding area, making it easy to find those with the lowest prices and save.
To increase the fuel savings in the car and also save in other areas (for example, household expenses), we recommend reading our App guides to save energy, electricity, gas and petrol and the Apps that save us money and time (Android and iPhone) .
If, on the other hand, we own a car with support for Android Auto or Apple CarPlay, we can deepen the discussion by reading our article on the Apps to use the mobile phone in the car while driving .
