In short
An Eco remap adjusts the software in the engine ECU (engine control unit) so the vehicle delivers more torque at low revs and responds more smoothly to the accelerator, letting you drive in higher gears with less pedal. It makes sense for delivery vans, fleet vehicles and cars that cover a lot of miles on the open road. We don't promise a savings figure: fuel consumption depends on the driving, the load, the route and the tyres, and the only way to check it is to measure it before and after. It starts from from €200 + VAT (€242 including VAT) and we do it in Alcalá de Henares or at your premises, within the Community of Madrid (the Madrid region).
What does an Eco map change?
An engine uses less fuel when it's working at low revs with the throttle well open than when it's revving hard with the pedal half pressed. The Eco map tries to make the vehicle spend more time in that zone:
- More torque available at low revs. If the engine pulls comfortably just above idle, you can get into a high gear sooner and stay in it on hills.
- More progressive throttle response. Many factory maps give a lot of response in the first part of the pedal travel, to make the car feel nimble. That encourages you to press harder than you need to. With an Eco map the pedal becomes more linear.
- Steady delivery under load. On loaded vans, the idea is that you don't need to change down on every rise.
What doesn't change: the emissions control systems, the engine's safety limiters or, on vehicles required to have one, the speed limiter.
Who does it make sense for?
| Profile | Why it fits | What needs checking first |
|---|---|---|
| Delivery van carrying loads | Spends the day pulling away with weight: low-down torque shows every time it sets off | Clutch and condition of the DPF (diesel particulate filter) |
| Sales rep or engineer covering a lot of miles on the open road | Steady speed in a high gear: that's where the map shines most | Tyres and pressures, which count as much as the map |
| Vehicle towing a trailer or caravan | Fewer downshifts on hills | That the transmission is healthy |
| Fleet of several identical vehicles | A map proven on one can be copied to the rest and compared | That the drivers and routes are comparable |
| Private customer with daily use and relaxed driving | A more pleasant, less jumpy car | Expectations: any saving will depend on you |
If you manage several vehicles, you'll find how we organise it in fleets, and if they're lorries, buses or machinery, in commercial and agricultural vehicles.
What can't the map do?
We'd rather be clear about it before anyone gets a surprise. A vehicle's fuel consumption depends on many things the software doesn't control:
- Who's driving. This is by far the biggest factor. An Eco map helps you drive efficiently; it doesn't force anyone to do so.
- Load and aerodynamics. A roof rack, a badly distributed load or a van that's always full changes consumption more than any map.
- Tyres and pressures. Running on low pressures or on tyres with high rolling resistance wipes out any improvement.
- The condition of the engine. Dirty injectors, a mass air flow sensor giving wrong readings or a particulate filter that's constantly regenerating push consumption up. In that case, electronic diagnostics come first.
- The route. Town driving with traffic jams and short journeys leaves little room.
How can you check whether you're saving?
The trip computer is only a guide and, what's more, it's calculated from what the ECU itself thinks it's injecting. To know for sure:
Before the change
for a few weeks, always fill the tank until the pump clicks off and note down the litres and kilometres at every fill-up.
Same use
compare similar periods: same route, load and time of year. Winter pushes consumption up on its own.
After the change
keep the same record for the same length of time.
Compare litres per kilometre
, not impressions. In a fleet, compare vehicles with and without the map on the same routes.
If you do it this way and want to talk it through with us, send us the figures.
What will we ask you first?
An Eco map is tailored to how the vehicle is used, so before preparing it we need to know how it works:
What you need to tell us
- Main use
- Urban deliveries, open road, motorway or mixed
- Usual load
- Empty, half loaded, always full or towing a trailer
- Gearbox type
- Manual or automatic
- Drivers
- One or several, and whether they change often
- Condition
- Faults, warning lights or frequent particulate filter regenerations
With several drivers per vehicle, as happens in many fleets, a more conservative map for pedal response is best: it's the one that depends least on who's driving.
Eco versus Stage 1
| Eco | Stage 1 | |
|---|---|---|
| Goal | Efficient use and smoothness | More shove and response |
| Where you notice it | Low-down torque and driving in a high gear | Mid and upper rev range, overtaking |
| Pedal response | More progressive | More direct |
| Typical profile | Vans, fleets, open road | Private customer looking for performance |
| Parts | None | None |
Price
Remaps start from from €200 + VAT (€242 including VAT). What changes the price is access to the ECU and whether we come to your premises or business. For several vehicles, we'll give you a combined quote. Our other rates are in prices.
Tell us the vehicle and how you use it. We'll tell you honestly whether an Eco map makes sense in your case and how much it costs.
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