Running on fumes? Automatic iOS app will alert when you need to fill gas

By Vamien McKalin, Tech Times | June 19, 5:54 AM

Ever wished a smartphone could one day alert drivers whenever the car is running low on fuel? Well, that wish has been granted in the form of an app called Automatic. It's only for iPhone, but an Android version is incoming.

Automatic is a car connected app that has been around for quite some time, though it didn't have the feature to track fuel up until now. For it to work, drivers are required to purchase Automatic Link, a device that plugs into the on-board diagnostics (OBD) of any car, as long as the car was manufactured after 1996.

The device then connects to the driver's smartphone via Bluetooth, and uses the vehicle's control network access to deliver information to the mobile device. Information that can be delivered to a smartphone includes engine diagnostics, acceleration and braking patterns. Now with the new updates, Automatic Link can give users relatively detailed information about fuel consumption.

The app will have the ability to track how much fuel is left in the tank and show it onscreen, along with calculating how many miles a driver will get from the available gas in the tank based on driving methods.

The driver can customize alerts sent out by Automatic. For example, if the driver wants an alert when the gas tank is quarter full, the option is there for that. Drivers can even choose to get an alert when they only have 20 miles worth of gas left.

With Automatic, you can:

• Learn fuel-saving driving habits to save big on gas.
• Know what that check engine light means and clear it with a tap.
• Track your car's fuel level and set custom low-fuel warnings (not available in all cars)
• Always remember where you parked.
• Get emergency assistance in a serious crash

The fuel alert is a good idea, though not every vehicle created after 1996 is able to take advantage of the Automatic Link hardware. In addition, many modern cars have built-in alerts that tell drivers whenever they are low on fuel, so this feature might not be of much use to some drivers.
The app is available right now for iOS.