CAR costs are one of the biggest expenditures eating into your hard-earned cash, so any tool to help bring spending down is more than welcome.
I’ve found just the trick to save money on petrol, insurance, and even parking without lifting a finger – and it’s free too.
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It’s all thanks to Google’s Gemini AI chatbot, which is coming to car dashboards soon.
The super smart tech is rolling out to cars with Android Auto in a free upgrade, meaning you can talk to it with a natural conversation about pretty much anything.
I’ve already used it to slash the cost of my food shopping, scanning products in supermarkets for the best price.
Although your car may not have Gemini just yet, you can access it right now with your phone (and it’s available on iPhones, too).
Obviously, it’s against the law to use your phone behind the wheel so be sure to have Gemini on hands-free with a mount, or pull over if needed.
Here are some of the ways it can help you reduce motoring-related costs.
#1 Petrol
Petrol prices are constantly a pain in the wallet for motorists, but AI might be able to find the cheapest around.
I asked it for prices around me and it identified all nearby.
But I wasn’t very satisfied with the lowest in my town – 134.9p per litre – and wondered if we could look a bit further afield.
Remembering that I’m visiting my parents, who live 45 minutes away, I asked Gemini if I could find cheaper petrol around there.
It turns out there is, for 130.9p per litre.
Gemini not only tells me where but also shows me directly on Google Maps, so I can go directly there from where I am.
#2 Parking
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Like everyone else, I really resent paid parking and will quite literally go the extra mile for a free option.
But finding free parking isn’t easy when you’re behind the wheel already.
So, I asked Gemini to help me out.
Admittedly, it required more than one ask, as at first, Gemini was only giving me results for blue badge holders.
When I added that I’m not a blue badge holder and asked if there are any supermarkets nearby with free parking, it came back with some results.
Once again, Gemini added these to a map so I could go there instantly without lifting a finger.
As for on-street spaces, Gemini wasn’t able to provide any up-to-date information on that right now, but I’m sure this will come in future as the technology develops.
And should paid parking be the only option around, it can tell you the costs of those.
Just be sure to check parking conditions when you get there, as AI does make mistakes.
#3 Insurance
Gemini isn’t quite there for things like insurance, so it can’t whizz you up a quick quote.
But what it can do is provide some handy tips on how to reduce your insurance costs.
“Well, there are a few things you can do,” Gemini said back to me.
“Consider increasing your voluntary excess, as this can sometimes lower your premium.
“Also, paying annually instead of monthly can save you money.
“It’s also worth checking if adding another driver to your policy would make it cheaper.”
GENERAL TIPS FROM GEMINI TO CUT CAR COSTS
Some other tips Gemini suggested to avoid spending more on your car included:
- Drive smoothly and avoid sudden acceleration or braking.
- Maintain a steady speed on the motorway.
- Check your tyre pressure regularly.
- Remove any unnecessary weight from your car.
Other tasks (non-money saving related) Gemini can do include things like eating suggestions, but you can be very specific.
So, you could ask for the best burger place along your current route.
Or you can use Gemini for a general chat about just about anything.
But this AI tech is still learning every day, so expect to have to be more specific or repeat yourself sometimes.
It can also make errors, so be sure to check anything suggested.
However, over a year, I can see how this sort of technology has the potential to save me hundreds on things like petrol and parking alone.
Google says there are more than 250 million cars that support Android Auto, and they’ll gradually be upgraded with Gemini “soon”, so keep an eye out for it on your car’s infotainment.
In the meantime, you can try it hands-free from a phone, too, by downloading the Gemini app.
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