Automatic 2.0 redesigned with low-fuel warnings, adjustable speed feedback
This is the biggest update to Automatic for iPhone since our launch last year, featuring an all new design, low-fuel warnings, and adjustable speed feedback.
Redesigned from the ground up
At Automatic, we focus on creating products that help people drive safer and smarter. The user experience always comes first, and a big part of that is the design of the user interface. The new UI in Automatic 2.0 is lighter, more modern, and gives us the flexibility to design new features we couldn’t otherwise. You’ll see small touches throughout the app that we hope will elevate the experience every time you use it.
Fuel level and low-fuel warnings
One of the many benefits of building our own hardware is that we can extend it with new capabilities over time. Starting today, users with supported cars will see their fuel level right in the iPhone app, along with an estimate of the miles left in the tank based on your driving habits.
Automatic will warn you with a push notification when you’re low on fuel. You can customize when you’re warned, say, at 1/4 of a tank, or at 50 miles to empty.
About half of the cars connected with Automatic don’t report their fuel level through the diagnostic port. Unfortunately, these cars don’t support this feature. There isn’t a clear pattern for which cars report their fuel level and which don’t, so please check to see if yours is supported.
In general, we focus on building features that all cars support, but felt this one was too important to ignore. We’re sorry if you’re one of the unlucky ones, but don’t worry, we’re working on lots of other cool stuff that everyone will be able to use.
Adjustable speed feedback
Our community is a great place for our customers to share their experiences with us and each other, and to tell us which features they’d like to see in Automatic. One of the most popular requests was to let users adjust the speed at which Automatic warns you that you’re driving too fast. Some folks wanted to avoid speeding tickets in states with much higher speed limits, while others felt the optimum speed for their car is different than the pre-determined 70 MPH threshold.
Not only is the threshold adjustable, we improved how you’re warned that you’re driving too fast. Now, you’ll only hear the chirp once when you cross the threshold. The chirp won’t repeat for the rest of the trip unless you dip below the threshold and cross it again.
Keep in mind that for now your drive score is still impacted by how much time you spend over 70 MPH, regardless of your custom speed threshold. We’re already working on an update to address this issue, so stay tuned.
We get a lot of inspiration for new features in our customer community, so drop us a line anytime to chat with members of our team and user community.
Drive on!
Download the latest from the App Store.
