If some clever scientists have their way, the type of fuel your car uses may not be the only thing that can reduce the impact that driving has on the environment.
Standard sat-nav systems give you the choice of fastest route or shortest route. Cleverer systems than the one I have will also re-route you automatically based on traffic data.
The sat-nav system Eva Ericsson at the Lund Institute of Technology in Sweden has been testing takes all that a step further by working out the most efficient route. In essence, it takes into account a wider set of data including fuel consumption, the width of a street, its speed limit and typical traffic flows.
The limited testing performed so far has shown an 8.2 per cent saving on fuel compared to the more traditional routing methods, although it's reckoned the final saving would be more like 4 per cent.
Not a massive saving but every little helps and there's little effort required on behalf of the driver other than follow the directions. (Presumably they'll have ironed out the kind of glitches that leads (very stupid sheep-like) people to drive into rivers.)
More transport and travel
Satnav gives directions for a greener route [via the excellent Inkycircus]
From: BEST OF 2008: Eco-friendy and sustainable shoes