LOOKOUT launches EcoCruise™ as global fuel prices hit boaters hard

LOOKOUT launches EcoCruise™ as global fuel prices hit boaters hard © LOOKOUT

As gasoline and diesel prices spike at marinas worldwide, LOOKOUT announced EcoCruise™, a first-of-its-kind, real-time fuel optimization feature for recreational powerboats.

With marina gasoline approaching $6.31 per gallon in some regions, EcoCruise gives boaters something no instrument has offered before: a clear, visual target for where to run their throttle to stop burning money.

"Every boater feels the pain at the fuel dock right now," said David Rose, CEO of LOOKOUT. "EcoCruise doesn't ask them to give up performance or stay off plane. It just shows them the sweet spot—the speed at which their specific boat burns the least fuel per mile—and coaches them toward it in real time. For a typical 35-foot powerboat, that's over $3,700 back in their pocket every season."

The Hydrodynamics of Hull Efficiency Isn't Intuitive

Every planing hull has a narrow efficiency sweet spot — a speed/RPM window where gallons-per-mile reaches its minimum. Many recreational boaters aren't aware that this efficiency set-point is so specific. But it's well worth knowing your EcoCruise. A Grady-White Canyon 306 with twin Yamaha F350s achieves peak efficiency of 1.36 MPG at 25 knots (3,500 RPM). Push the throttle to 45 knots (6,000 RPM), and efficiency drops nearly in half to 0.76 MPG — a 79% increase in fuel burned per mile. Even modest speed reductions from typical "fast cruise" behavior deliver 12-26% better fuel economy, all while staying on plane.

Proven Behavioral Science, Now Applied to Boating

LOOKOUT's EcoCruise isn't just another fuel meter. It's a subtle behavioral cue because boaters glance at it every minute — and the science says these ambient devices work. Vehicle eco-driving studies show an average 6.6% improvement in fuel economy with real-time feedback displays. A bus fleet study by the Idaho National Laboratory delivered 9-20% fuel savings by prominently displaying an optimal speed target to drivers.

The most direct precedents are Ford's SmartGauge® with EcoGuide — whose animated green leaf iconography nudges drivers toward peak efficiency and the Google Nest® Thermostat, which drives a meaningful 5% reduction in household energy consumption with its eco-mode. Both demonstrate that well-designed visual cues change behavior at scale. "SmartGauge with EcoGuide gives the customer real-world feedback to make the most of their hybrid," said Gil Portalatin, Ford's hybrid applications manager at launch. Ford estimated that the system achieves a 15% improvement in fuel economy through eco-driving coaching. LOOKOUT brings that same philosophy and glanceable information that matters to helm design.

EcoCruise is available as a new standard feature in LOOKOUT and will be delivered as a free over-the-air update starting today for all customers. For more information on LOOKOUT, please visit www.getalookout.com.