The car that finds cheap petrol

Sam Hall
May 14, 2013
The Age

Satellite navigation system lists fuel prices at nearby service stations.

Next-generation Audis, including the soon-to-be released A3 and A4, will come packaged with optional software to list fuel prices at nearby service stations. But there’s a catch for Australian buyers – we won’t see the technology just yet.

The new software is incorporated into the Audi Connect sat-nav package, which works by checking an online database listing the cheapest petrol stations in real time. Users can search for the cheapest fuel nearby or at their destination, including petrol, diesel and LPG.

Audi’s Australian arm says it is working behind the scenes to ensure local customers catch up with European buyers, who already have access to the cheap fuel function.

Spokesman Shaun Cleary said Australia’s internet infrastructure was holding Audi back from rolling out the new function locally.

“The problem is that the data doesn’t actually exist for us to tap into, whereas it does abroad,” he said.

“In Europe, you can actually look up movies and shows and navigate directly to them, simply because the infrastructure’s there and the data exists. It doesn’t at the moment in Australia but it’s something that we’re working on to provide.

“Hopefully it’s something that we can offer in the next few years.”

In Europe, the Audi Connect option is sold as part of the Technology Pack High package, setting buyers back about $AUD2800.

Cleary said that Australian Audi buyers haven’t totally missed out though, with upcoming models to include Google search functionality

“When Audi Connect does launch, which will hopefully be in the third quarter of this year when the A3 Quattro launches … [Australian cars] won’t have the Auto Connect function to start with but we’re looking at launching the Google functionality,” Cleary said.