This is an excerpt from EERE Network News, a weekly electronic newsletter.

April 10, 2013

Energy Department Announces Apps for Vehicles Challenge Winners

The Energy Department announced the winners of the Apps for Vehicles Challenge on April 1. The competition asked app developers and entrepreneurs to demonstrate how the open data available on most vehicles can be used to improve vehicle safety, fuel efficiency, and comfort. The Department awarded the Judges' Prize to New York City-based Dash, which developed an app that turns any vehicle into a "smart car," providing real diagnostics and alerts to enable drivers to maximize engine performance, minimize carbon emissions, and save money. The Popular Choice prize went to MyCarma, headquartered in Troy, Michigan, which developed an app that offers a personalized fuel economy estimate based on a driver's unique driving patterns instead of a standard test cycle. Green Button Gamer, based in Boston, Massachusetts, won the Safety Innovation award, and Fuel Economy Coach, based in Augusta, Georgia, received the Fuel Efficiency Innovation award.

The Apps for Vehicles Challenge is focused on spurring innovative projects or services to reduce fuel costs and increase safety for consumers by utilizing vehicle-generated information, including data on engine speed, brake position, headlights, and distance traveled. Entries were judged based on their creativity, innovation, use of open vehicle data, consumer accessibility, and potential to help consumers improve fuel efficiency. The Energy Department announced the competition in October 2012, and from nearly 40 entries that were submitted for the first phase of the competition, seven were selected as finalists to advance to the second stage. See the Energy Department'sProgress Alert and visit the Apps for Vehicles Challenge website to download the winning apps.