Automakers are radically rethinking our relationship with gasoline after prices hit record highs this summer, but this may be the strangest idea we've come across yet.  The AP reports, "Nissan Motor Co. will soon sell cars that push back when drivers try to put the pedal to the metal."  The "ECO Pedal" system, "makes the gas pedal press upward when it senses motorists are speeding up too quickly."  In a press release Monday, Nissan said it hopes to offer the system on some 2009 model year cars.

According to the Detroit News, the system "calculates the most efficient rate of acceleration in a vehicle and causes the gas pedal to push back to alert overzealous drivers."  The manufacturer claims the ECO Pedal "can help drivers improve fuel efficiency 5 percent to 10 percent."

What if you actually need to floor it for safety reasons?  Anyone who's tried merging in a Nissan Versa knows that sometimes, when a tractor trailer is bearing down on you, you don't want a pedal you can't put to the floor.

According to PC Magazine, "If the driver is intent on accelerating, the resistance can be pushed through without too much effort."  There's also an off switch for drivers who don't ever want to deal with the ECO Pedal. 

The pedal is one of several new technologies Nissan is testing that may help drivers squeeze the most mileage from every gallon.  Reuters reports, " Last year, it promised to equip all new cars with the fuel consumption indicator, which indicates the optimal level for fuel-efficient driving by displaying a green, flashing or amber light" depending on the efficiency of the driver's current driving style.

PC Magazine's  Martyn Williams has actually tested the ECO Pedal, and reports, "Driving a car with the system installed it was immediately obvious when I was driving inefficiently. The slight resistance on the pedal also made it easy to hold the accelerator at the optimal position and drive using the least amount of fuel. It also made me realize that I'm probably wasting fuel in the way I drive my current car."

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