How Start/Stop Technology Makes Your Car Better For the Environment

What is Start/Stop Technology?

Start/Stop technology is a system created by Bosch which serves to shut down your car engine when you’re stopped in traffic or at a traffic light, but then restarts it when the clutch is depressed. The system draws upon the expertise of Bosch and next to the starter, the control software and the battery sensor, the system as a whole includes a crankshaft sensor and the respective sensors at the pedals [1]. In combination with this, a high efficiency alternator and a deep-cycle resistant battery means there is an increase in the amount of time that the vehicle can remain stationary with the engine switched off. The service life of the starter has recently been improved to withstand a greater number of starts, making cars with these systems more cost efficient. The powerful electrical motor combined with low-noise, enhanced mechanics guarantees safe,fast and quiet starts in all situations. Consequently, since Bosch began production of the systems, over 1.5 million have been sold [2] and it is expected that these will be standard equipment in 20% of all cars by 2015 [3].

What Does it Save You?

As starter-based systems are largely based on existing components, their cost-benefit ratio is very good and unlike other technologies, this approach is also suitable for cold starts in diesel engines. Engineers at Bosch have performed test drives that indicate that stop/start systems reduce fuel consumption and therefore carbon dioxide emissions by up to 5%. In urban areas, this can be a saving of up to 8%, therefore can be a great benefit to air polluted cities. This system had proved to be reliable and cheap to manufacture and could also save millions of barrels of oils a year and hundred of tons of greenhouse emissions. However, it is important to note that it has been suggested that in circumstances where there are only a few seconds between stopping and starting, it may be more fuel efficient to let the engine run.

What Models Use It?

Stop/start technology has increasingly been fitted to more and more passenger cars: in 2008, around 5% of all new vehicles in Europe contained the technology, but by 2010, around 50% will contain it. It has been predicted that the market in stop/start technology will grow rapidly in the next few years, therefore more and more car manufacturers are utilising it. Cars such as the new Fiat 500 and the Kia Cee’d already contain stop/start systems and manufacturers such as BMW and MINI are utilising it in some of their newer models. There has been a recent development in stop/start technology so that it can be used in automatic transmissions such as Volkswagen’s Passat and Porsche’s Panamera.

If you’re interested in cutting your fuel consumption and consequently your fuel costs as well has reducing harmful carbon dioxide emissions, it’s worth considering a car with start/stop technology. There’ll be plenty more models containing the technology available in the near future, but here’s a handy list of models utilising it at present: