Driving app Waze adds real-time gas info and discounts, hits 19M users

Just in time for the Summer driving season, driving app Waze is today embarking on bold new territory: crowdsourcing the best gas prices.

With the latest version of the free Waze app, launching today, you’ll be able to find gas stations and compare their prices in real time. Even better, the company is offering exclusive gas discounts to users at participating stations. Waze also announced that it has reached 19 million users.

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Waze’s apps, which are available on the iPhone, Android, BlackBerry, Windows Mobile, and Symbian phones, offer free turn-by-turn directions. But Waze’s true value is its vast amount of live traffic data. Crowdsourced entirely from its users, the data makes Waze a far more useful alternative to standalone GPS units.

Cheap gas apps like Gas Buddy and Fuel Finder have been around for some time, but Waze has the advantage of integrating its gas info alongside GPS routes.

Gas information is Waze’s first vertical attempt outside of its core crowdsourced navigation feature. Di-Ann Eisnor, Waze’s VP of platform and partnerships, said the company will slowly begin to explore other verticals as well.

Waze has also finally added the ability to use waypoints on your trips, allowing you to plot more than one location for a single journey. The company also has brought its nifty voice control feature to Android phones with this latest update.

Waze is based in Palo Alto, Calif. and has raised over $55 million thus far.

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