Frequently asked questions
HybridEdge · Updated 31 October 2026
*Unless you choose it: household sync into your own iCloud if you set it up, anonymous calibration data if you agree during setup, and a diagnostic report if you send one. Details in the privacy question below.
What is HybridEdge?
An iPhone app that answers the question the trip computer won't: what does each drive actually cost? Petrol and electricity together, per trip and per 100 km, with the split between them shown honestly, not averaged into a number nobody can confirm. The rule it's built around: every figure is measured from the car, or it isn't shown.
Which cars does it work with?
HybridEdge was developed and validated on the BYD Denza B5, with its measurements checked against the dash over hundreds of kilometres (battery state agrees within about 0.3%). Testing is rolling out across Denza, BYD, Toyota and Mitsubishi PHEV models, with more to follow. The app's database covers 100+ plug-in hybrids sold in Australia, and any PHEV can use manual logging today. Full automatic readings for new models arrive through in-app calibration: the app learns your car as you drive, and tells you honestly when a value for your model is verified and when it isn't.
Do I need to buy anything?
No. Every core feature works with manual entry: tap Start trip, type the odometer, fuel, and battery figures off your dash, then end the trip the same way. All costs, the logbook, and insights work from that. If you want the car to fill the numbers in itself, a ~$50 Bluetooth OBD-II reader (we test with the Veepeak OBDCheck BLE+) plugs into the port under the steering wheel, and the app records battery, fuel, odometer, and speed continuously while you drive.
Which OBD readers are compatible?
The short rule: HybridEdge works with Bluetooth Low Energy readers that speak the ELM327 command set. If a reader turns out not to be compatible, the app says so clearly on screen, and manual entry always works regardless. Here's the current state of the list:
| Reader | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|
 Veepeak OBDCheck BLE+ ~$55 |
Confirmed | The tested and recommended reader, validated over hundreds of kilometres of driving. |
 Veepeak OBDCheck BLE ~$45 |
Probably | Same hardware as the BLE+, older command set, covers everything the app uses. |
 vLinker MC+ ~$60 |
Probably | Meets the spec on paper. Not yet verified in the field. |
 Vgate iCar Pro Bluetooth 4.0 ~$35 |
Probably | Meets the spec on paper. Not yet verified in the field. |
 OBDLink CX ~$130 |
Probably | Premium unit, meets the spec on paper. Not yet verified in the field. |
 PLX Kiwi 3 ~$150 |
Probably | Premium unit, meets the spec on paper. Not yet verified in the field. |
| Other BLE ELM327 readers | Probably |
|
 Generic "ELM327 mini" Bluetooth OBD2 (Amazon) ~$11 |
Not compatible |
|
| "OBD Advanced" / HHOBD torch-style (AliExpress, eBay) ~$5 |
A gamble |
|
| OBDLink MX+ ~$180 |
Not compatible | Classic Bluetooth, not BLE. The "works with iPhone" label doesn't apply to this app. |
| Jaycar Response PP2145 ~$109 |
Not compatible | ELM327 data is classic Bluetooth (Android only); its BLE side only talks to the maker's own app. |
| Any Wi-Fi reader | Not compatible | HybridEdge connects over Bluetooth only. |
| Any classic Bluetooth reader | Not compatible | Most bargain "Bluetooth ELM327" dongles are classic Bluetooth, which iPhone apps cannot use. BLE only. |
Help grow the Confirmed list: when a reader connects, the app records which model and firmware it identified as. Drive once with your reader, then send a report from Settings > About, and your reader can be added to the table.
Where is the OBD port, and can a reader harm my car?
Look under the dash above the pedals, around the steering column; the socket faces the floor. It's a 16-pin trapezoid about the size of a matchbox, and some cars hide it behind a small flip-down cover. The reader stays plugged in permanently.
The port is designed for exactly this kind of accessory. HybridEdge only asks read-only questions the same way a mechanic's scan tool does (battery level, fuel level, odometer, and speed). It cannot change settings, clear fault codes, or modify your car in any way. That said, OBD readers are third-party hardware, so if you're unsure how an accessory sits with your warranty or insurance, ask your dealer before plugging one in.
What about my data and privacy?
There's no account to create and no ads, and there never will be. Your trips, costs, and locations are stored on your phone, and nothing leaves it unless you choose to send it. On its own the app only downloads public reference data: the vehicle-specification list and the Australian electricity-plan list, neither containing anything about you.
Three things are your choice. Household sync copies a car's trips into your own iCloud for the phones you invite, and Delete household data on its card removes that copy. Calibration sharing, asked during setup, shares anonymous calibration readings while your model is being calibrated: the car's raw value, the dash figure you typed, and your car model, never your trips, location or identity. On cars that report their battery's power, it also shares two numbers from each charge the app watches, so other owners of your model get measured regen sooner. Sharing stops by itself once your model's calibration is published. It's preselected because the whole fleet benefits, and one tap turns it off. And a diagnostic report leaves your phone only if you choose to send one when something looks wrong. The full detail is in the privacy policy.
How does the app measure regen?
Every BYD and Denza model tested so far reports the power flowing in and out of its battery, and HybridEdge measures regen from that as it happens. First it has to learn one number for your car, from a charge it watches. Tap Set up regen on the dashboard card, or go to Settings, My Vehicle, Regen setup. Plug in at home with the car switched off and the battery at 85% or lower, and leave the screen open with the phone in or near the car. It shows a checklist and its progress, keeps the screen on, and says Done when it has learned the number. That usually takes about 20 minutes on a home charger, and 10 to 15 once your battery has gone up or down about 20% with the reader connected. You only do it once.
Until then, regen is estimated from the battery percentage's steps, and each trip's detail says which way it was measured. If two or more owners of your model have already done it, the app uses their figure until yours is learned. Cars that don't report their battery's power keep the estimate.
My charger doesn't show kWh. How do I log a charge?
Leave the kWh field blank and enter the battery percentage before and after the charge instead, off the dash or the app's own reading. HybridEdge works out the kWh from the rise and your battery size. This is actually more accurate for costing than a charger display, because it measures what landed in the battery rather than what came out of the wall. Portable "granny" chargers, basic wallboxes, and public AC posts without screens all work fine this way.
I'm with Amber Electric. Does dynamic pricing work?
Amber is in the plan picker, with honesty about its limits: Amber has no fixed rates (you pay the wholesale spot price, which changes every half hour), so the entry starts as a placeholder rate. Edit it to what you typically pay when you charge, or set the exact rate on each charge. Proper dynamic-pricing support is planned.
Is there an Android version?
Not yet, and no promises. HybridEdge is an iPhone app, and getting it right there is the whole focus. Whether Android ever happens depends on how the launch goes and how many people register interest below. If it does, it will be announced on the Facebook page.
What iPhone do I need?
Any iPhone from the iPhone 11 or iPhone SE (2nd generation) onward, running iOS 26.4 or later. If your phone has taken its updates in the last year, you're fine.
What do the permissions do?
Bluetooth talks to the optional OBD reader. Without one, the app simply stays in manual mode. Location is optional and records trip routes and start/end place names for your logbook, stored on-device. Notifications power the trip prompts: "log a new trip?" when the car starts, and end-trip options when you switch off.
Why does fuel show as a percentage?
The dash's kilometre range is the car's own adaptive guess and can't be matched by any app honestly. The tank percentage is what the car actually reports, so that's what HybridEdge uses, everywhere.
Is there a light theme?
Yes. Settings, Display & Appearance offers System, Light, or Dark. The Cockpit and CarPlay screens stay dark in every mode, because they're instrument displays built for reading in the car.
I'm not in Australia. Can I still use it?
HybridEdge is built for Australia and New Zealand for now. The measuring side works in any country, but the electricity plan database is Australian, so overseas users type in their own power rate instead of picking a plan. Costs come out in whatever currency you type your prices in. The app does speak strictly litres and kilometres, so it's an awkward fit for the US until proper international support arrives. Opening up to more countries is on the roadmap after the Australian launch.
What does it cost?
$29.99 a year (NZ$29.99 in New Zealand), and your first month is free. That's time to get a reader and let the app learn your car. If it isn't for you, cancel at least a day before the month ends and it costs nothing: in your iPhone's Settings, tap your name, then Subscriptions. With Family Sharing, one subscription covers your family. The subscription is with Apple, so your payment details never reach us.
I found a bug. What's the best way to report it?
Two ways, best first: tap "Upload report" in Settings → About (one tap, sent straight to the developer, with coordinates rounded and place names removed); or email support@hybridedge.com.au. Every report gets read.
Where do I get it?
On the App Store, for iPhone: HybridEdge on the App Store.
Contact
Anything else: support@hybridedge.com.au