Join us on the road …

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… to a greener

Earth.

How can the average individual drive more sustainably?

The Problem

Rising

global CO₂

emissions

Limited public awareness of personal carbon footprints

Lack of

affordable environmental

technology

Welcome to Eco-Drive

• Google Chrome extension
• Compatible with Google Maps
• Calculates gasoline cost and CO₂ emissions in a matter of seconds
• Innovative approach to environmental sustainability that empowers the user to make their own informed environmental decisions

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An eco-routing software.

The Science

How Does it Work?

1. Enter your current location and destination on Google Maps
2. For each generated route:
1. Enter the travel distance in miles
2. Enter your car’s MPG
1. Hint: Use the list provided by Eco-Drive or our collection of the most common cars’ MPGs
3. Click the calculate button to receive the gasoline cost and estimated CO2 emissions
3. Compare your data to select the most environmentally-friendly route!

Use the social media buttons to share your results with others!

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Benefits

• Simple, easy-to-use design
• Functional for people of all age groups and education levels
• Easily accessible and convenient
• Download as a Chrome extension or visit the website on Mac, Windows, etc
• Scientifically grounded
• Calculations are based on official EPA data
• Practical and inexpensive
• Effortless way for the average individual to practice environmental sustainability

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• Google Maps, the most popular navigation service, does not calculate your fuel consumption costs or carbon emissions.
• MapQuest calculates gasoline costs, but:
• Website is layered with distracting advertisements
• Design provides limited functionality for everyday user
• Other alternatives require payment or extensive, jargon-filled information
• Conclusion: No easy, affordable way to gain awareness about your daily transportation costs in terms of personal finances and carbon footprint.

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Outdriving the Competitors

Market

• Although Eco-Drive is functional for the general population (regardless of age, gender, race, socioeconomic status, or education level), main markets include:

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Primary

Secondary

• Millennials
• Located in suburban areas
• Concerned with environmental issues
• Use technology often

• Middle-aged adults (30 - 60 yrs old)
• Located in suburban or rural areas
• Commute often via car
• Frequent users of Google Maps
• Value independent action

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The Investment

What will funds be used for?

1. Integrate real-time data from Google Maps
1. Users would only have to enter their route and the calculator would automatically display potential routes sorted by sustainability
2. Improve the accuracy of the MPG values by developing a responsive dataset
3. Improve compatibility by expanding to browsers besides Chrome and improving website design

Any Questions?

Serene

Feng

Lina

Chihoub

Sibel

Olcal

• Learned Javascript, HTML, CSS in 2 days
• Learned value of perseverance, patience, and taking a risk with initially daunting ideas

serenefeng314@gmail.com

lina.chihoub@ltps.info

sibelolcal@gmail.com

• Feasibility (25% of total score) How much traction has this team had? Is this project technically practical? Given the skills that the team possesses, is this project feasible?

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We’ve created the Google extension and successfully uploaded it onto our own Chrome browsers. We’ve learned to code in HTML, CSS, and Javascript, though all of us have had minimal if any experience in those languages. The calculator is in working condition on our website.

Our extension hasn’t been uploaded to the Chrome store yet.

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• Innovation (25%) How unique is this team’s idea? Has this been done before?

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Although there are websites that calculate carbon footprint of the user, EcoDrive is unique in its efficiency. Not only does this program give a fast calculation, but it also does it by requiring the least amount of user input as possible. We integrate this small eco-friendly feature into an existing application that people already use regularly (Google Maps), making this a painless and seamless addition.

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• Market Research and Growth Potential (25%) Does the team have a thorough understanding of the market and competitive landscape? How large is the market they are trying to reach? Has the team done customer research? Is the problem being solved significant?

To date, there is no navigation tool that seamlessly incorporates practical tools that simultaneously encourage eco-friendly actions. The average person will not regularly visit a fuel consumption calculator website that is outside of their navigation tool just to understand the fuel consumption and costs of their individual trips.

The top eight Google search results for such calculators (https://www.fueleconomy.gov/trip/, https://www.calculator.net/fuel-cost-calculator.html, ect.) are require knowledge on your car’s Miles Per Gallon value (MPG). For example, Fuel Economy’s calculator (https://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/savemoney.jsp) calculated the price per mile and fixed estimates of your weekly, monthly, and yearly gasoline costs. It does not give you insight into the true costs of your daily trips.

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• Flammability (15%)
• How will the $6,000 grand prize be used to further their business? How likely is it that the $6,000 will make a significant difference?

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The $6000 will give my team the resources to improve the accuracy of the MPG values that are on our extension. We will be able to put more time into developing a responsive and dynamic program that can better the experience of our users.

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• Storytelling (10%) Does this team demonstrate passion, courage, or other traits likely to contribute to their success? How compelling is their pitch? This category is unrelated to video quality.

Perseverance in learning new coding languages, willingness to learn the calculations and complexities behind sustainability