It’s official: Fiat’s new eco:Drive is no turkey. Figures just released by Fiat clearly show that thousands of motorists who have been using the fuel-saving advice device since its launch in October, have already saved more than 163,000kg of CO2. And that seasonal success is equivalent to cooking 294,228 Christmas dinners!

Launched by Fiat at the 2008 Paris Motor Show, eco:Drive is a free-of-charge tool that helps drivers understand the impact of their driving style on fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. Using a USB stick plugged into the car’s dashboard, eco:Drive records detailed information about the vehicle and how it is driven, which can be uploaded on to a computer. It then gives an analysis of the driver’s performance, along with suggestions on how to improve efficiency further by improving driving methods.

“eco:Drive offers real benefits, helping drivers to improve their driving efficiency, saving fuel and reducing their impact on the environment,” says Andrew Humberstone, managing director, Fiat Group Automobiles UK. “And that’s going to be well worth considering as we move into a new year.”

Drivers using eco:Drive can become part of eco:Ville, an environmentally-friendly on-line community. Members have used it to offer ideas and feedback over the last three months, which Fiat has responded to – already the company has released four enhanced versions of the system.

Next year eco:Drive will become available for use in the Fiat Bravo and Qubo – it already features in Fiat 500 and Grande Punto models – and there are plans to further widen the scope of the technology across the entire car range and even into commercial vehicles. Fiat drivers can download eco:Drive free of charge at http://www.fiat.co.uk/ecodrive