How do I make my car smarter using GOFAR?

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Home » How do I make my car smarter using GOFAR?

Unlike the first generation of smart car gadgets on the market, the GOFAR gadget is an intelligent device that translates engine data and teaches a driver to drive safely to improve efficiency.

The product was first inspired by the rocket launch tracking and Formula One displays to come up with a technology that ensures you spend less on fuel, you know where your car costs are going, and you cut your car’s emissions.

The precise sensors on GOFAR work by continuously calculating your engine’s indicators to give you simple but reliable feedback.

Who Would Benefit From GOFAR Technology?

  • Fleet Owners – If you have drivers that are continuously on the road on a daily basis, GOFAR is the best logbook app for fleet drivers to develop a slight change in driving habits like speeding will have a considerable saving.
  • Car Enthusiasts – If you find pleasure in finding the nitty gritty in the automotive industry, the GOFAR device will help you come up with car metrics that will help you change your driving behavior as well as teach others how they can save fuel.
  • Environment Activists – If you love the environment but cannot yet afford an electric car, perhaps you should start using the GOFAR device to reduce your car’s emissions.
  • Long Distance Drivers – The longer the distance you drive, like caravanners, the more GOFAR is likely to save your fuel and repair costs.

Benefits of GOFAR Technology

  • Device Powered by Car – You don’t need to get an extra battery for the GOFAR device as it is powered by the car’s battery.
  • Reliable – The GOFAR technology gives you real-time feedback for every mile you drive which guarantees your efficiency and performance for every mile you cover.
  • Proof of Expenses – As a driver, you don’t need to show your boss how much you spent on fuel or how many trips you made as they already have that information on the smartphone. As a businessman, you don’t need additional proof of expenses to the tax authorities.
  • Sleek Design – The slim silhouette design can catch your attention at the periphery of your vision. Just like your car’s dashboard, you can concentrate on the road even as you take charge of your driving style to keep the costs of running the vehicle at a bare minimum.
  • Easy to Install – Once you find your car’s On-Board Diagnostic II port, installation is easy.

How to Install GOFAR

  • Plug the dongle into the OBDII port of your car.
  • Connect the dongle to the Ray and then put the Ray securely on the dashboard of your car.
  • Pair your smartphone with the dongle to get real-time feedback on your fuel usage as well as alerts of malfunction.

How GOFAR Tracks Energy Usage

When a driver presses the acceleration pedal of the car, the fuel is released and burnt. Fuel burning releases chemical energy that is changed into kinetic energy when the car’s propulsion system rotates gears.

Unfortunately, sometimes the kinetic energy is more than is required to rotate gears and this is when some power is lost.

GOFAR tracks the power lost and compares this with the energy needed for propulsion, thereby giving the driver advise on just how much pressure he needs to apply on the accelerator.

A lot of energy is lost due to aerodynamic pressure (wind resistance) and friction when the wheels are rolling along the ground. GOFAR also tracks this loss.

Also, kinetic energy is lost as heat when a driver brakes unless the car model has regenerative braking system such as the one found on hybrid cars.

It is important to note that energy costs money and every time it is lost, you pay for something you did not use.

GOFAR not only helps you see the total energy lost but also some actionable steps to mitigate this.

For example, GOFAR will not only tell you how many harsh braking you did during the trip, but also how much it costed you and how you can avoid it the next time you drive.

It is driving behaviors such as harsh braking, harsh acceleration, unnecessary speeding that cost you money.

However, you can avoid all this if you pay attention to the Ray’s LED. Every time it blinks red, you are burning cash, but when it is blue, then you are driving efficiently.

How GOFAR Tracks Emissions

Through constant monitoring of the gasoline flow rate, evaluating the combustion conditions and the resultant carbon emission, GOFAR can track just how efficiently your car is using the fuel.

As a responsible company, the inventors of the GOFAR device made sure it accurately measured the emissions of the vehicle and then gave the correct feedback to the driver.

If everybody on the planet used the invention, there will be fewer carbon emissions and thus a cleaner environment.

GOFAR VEHICLE Compatibility Table

Country Fuel Used Year of Manufacture of later
Australia Gas/Diesel 2007
Canada Gas/Diesel 1998
China Gas/Diesel 2011
EU Countries Gas/Diesel 2004
Hong Kong Gas 2007
Israel Gas 2003
Japan Gas 2003
New Zealand Gas 2007
Singapore Gas 2014
South Korea Gas/Diesel 2007
Taiwan Gas/Diesel 2008
UK Gas/Diesel 2004
USA Gas/Diesel 1996

GOFAR SMARTPHONE COMPATIBILITY TABLE

Operating System Model Date of Manufacturer
iOS Devices iPhone 5, 5C, 5S, 6, 6+
iPod Touch 5
All other iOS devices manufactured post-November 2015
November 2015 or later
Android Samsung Galaxy S3 and newer
Google Nexus 4 and newer
HTC One M7 and newer
Sony Xperia Z1 and newer
All other Android smartphones manufactured post-December 2015
 December 2015 or later

What the Insurers Think About GOFAR

The insurance companies seem to have received the news of behavior-based insurance sales in stride.

According to research done by the British Insurance Brokers’ Association, sales in this category have multiplied by 60% in the UK since 2012.

Users who have opted to have a telematics device such as GOFAR in their device pay insurance premiums that are heavily discounted, sometimes to as far as 25% in the UK.

If you are a young driver that is finding insurance premiums abnormally high, you can invest in a GOFAR device that will provide proof of safe driving and thus attract discounts in premiums paid.

According to Australian Associated Motor Insurers Limited (AAMI), people who have verifiable data on safe driving will in future continue to profoundly influence the risk and pricing models of motor vehicle insurance.

Richard Tooth, a director at Sapere Research Group, says that the Australian Insurance regulatory system is biased against good driving. “It amounts to good drivers subsidizing the bad,” he says.

To solve this problem, GOFAR has promised to initiate a program where those using the device and follows its advice will promptly attract better premium rates.

The company offers to help users of the device compare different insurance companies’ prices to reward its good driving behavior with premium incentives.

In Conclusion;

Investing in GOFAR may not seem urgent today, but wait until you see the amount of money you are saving operating your car.

We all have better things to do with money than wasting it on fuel or unscrupulous mechanic, don’t we?

Danny Adams sitting in a chair with a laptop

Danny Adams

Co-founder of GOFAR and with a Computer Science background from Harvard University, and a Bachelor of Aerospace, Aeronautical & Astronautical Engineering (Honours), UNSW. I want to transform data from cars into useful services so -> drivers save time & money -> emissions fall -> Australian roads are safer. So we built an ATO-compliant logbook app called GOFAR. I write to help you understand how to use GOFAR to maximise business travel. Reach out via support@gofar.co.

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This content is provided for general information purposes only and does not constitute professional advice from GOFAR. We recommend consulting with an independent legal, taxation, or financial expert to ensure the information is applicable to your specific situation. Please note that relevant regulations and laws may evolve over time.