Bosch Stop-Start system available on new BMW 1-series
European shoppers interested in BMW's new 1-series will now be able to have the car with a stop-start system provided by Bosch. The new system is quite simple, and the only change required to the existing engine offerings (both gasoline and diesel) is a different starter motor. According to Bosch, whose press release is pasted after the jump, the system is good for an 8% bump in fuel economy plus an obvious reduction in tailpipe emissions when measured in accordance with the New European Driving Cycle's urban component.
Trips that require more and/or longer stops would naturally result in even better numbers. It would be really nice if stop-start systems were more prevalent in US-market automobiles, as the positives they offer represent an excellent middle-ground for buyers looking to improve fuel economy or simply go "greener" without taking on the extra expense associated with buying a new hybrid vehicle.
Let's face it, not everyone wants a hybrid car (there are a number of reasons for this, ranging from price, to brand loyalty, to simple personal preference), but everyone (or almost everyone) would certainly welcome optional ways to make new cars more fuel efficient (read: cheaper to run) without compromising on make, model, body style, etc. The Bosch system, as described in the press release, sounds like it's relatively unobtrusive. Combining something like this with currently-available features such as cylinder deactivation might be enough to meet the needs of a lot of people. The question is, would you be willing to give it a shot, or are you ready to just cede features of this type to the hybrid segment completely?
[Source: Bosch]
PRESS RELEASE:
Bosch stop-start technology featured on latest BMW 1 Series
* Stop-start systems reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emissions
The Bosch Smart Electronic stop-start system, a technology that cuts the engine in traffic jams or at traffic lights, is now available on the latest BMW 1 Series petrol and diesel engine models. "This technology reduces fuel consumption significantly, especially in city centre driving," said Dr Volkmar Denner, member of the Bosch board of management. "This, and other systems supplied by Bosch, will help to reduce CO2 emissions further in the future." The technology has gone into production at BMW from this month on the 1 Series. Bosch supplies the key components for this system, including a starter that has been developed specifically for this application.
With increasing fuel prices and an urgent demand for the reduction of CO2 emissions, there is an ongoing requirement for innovative solutions to tackle these issues. The Bosch system provides a cost-effective way of conserving resources, as well as helping to protect the environment, by switching the engine off when the vehicle is stationary and automatically starting it again when the driver depresses the clutch pedal, prior to moving off.
The ECE 15 measuring cycle, the urban component of the New European Driving Cycle (NEDC), calls for twelve 15 second stops over a distance of seven kilometres. During such a journey, the Bosch system reduces fuel consumption and CO2 emissions by as much as eight per cent, depending on the vehicle. If the stops last longer, the actual savings on CO2 emissions and fuel can be significantly higher.
The Bosch stop-start technology required the development of a specially designed starter motor, the Smart Starter Motor. The company already produces the battery sensor required to detect the battery's current state of charge and to communicate this information via the energy management system. "Bosch has drawn on its combined competence in drive trains, energy management and starter technology to develop this system and its control function," said Denner.
Incorporating the Bosch stop-start technology requires no other change to the vehicle's drive train or the engine. The system delivers an excellent cost-benefit ratio making it a very attractive system compared with alternative solutions. The number of engine starts the system has to make, in other words its service life, has been increased significantly for this application. In addition, the starter's improved-performance electric motor, low noise and stronger pinion-engaging mechanism ensure that the engine starts reliably, quickly and quietly. Despite the increased number of functions, the starter is compact and can be integrated into the vehicle just as easily and conveniently as other starter motors.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Viv 1:36PM (3/26/2007)
I would gladly try kits like these to improve my fuel economy and have the ability to drive my favorite cars. Plus the prius is not exactly a very cheap option and it's the only true hybrid on the market. I would think these would be a big hit in the US as well if they are affordable.
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akintz 1:37PM (3/26/2007)
I don't know if the technology is related or not, but it sounds like what my uncle's Highlander hybrid does. I don't know much about either though.
I'd give it a shot though, if there were a fuel savings. Sounds simple enough.
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Bill 2:13PM (3/26/2007)
I would definately welcome it if it was a seamless system that "feels" more like how a hybrid works. I have only driven a Prius, and hated it generally, but I was impressed with how you usually could not detect any vibration or shuddering when the gas engine was being started.
My only reservation would be the ability to keep the car cool in hot & humid DC summers.
I think there are a lot of different technologies that, while not going full-hybrid, could have a significant impact on energy consumption if introduced on a large scale. I think eventually most all cars will be "hybrid" in some way though...
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Kamil 1:57PM (3/26/2007)
whatever happened to the fact that most engine wear occours at start-up, when there is little or no oil pressure?
Given ten years or more of this engine shot-down, start-up, operation at improper temperature, are there concerns for cylinder pressure and overall engine wear?
I always wondered why manufactureres did not invent some kink engine oil pre-lubing device.
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cheezwiz311 2:19PM (3/26/2007)
Am I the only one that's sat at a busy intersection and missed a light because the drivers in front of me are too slow to start moving after the driver in front of them moves? It seems to me that without a motor to move the car while the engine starts, this will only aggravate that problem. Could this system actually cause more traffic to build up?
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RickDom 3:06PM (3/26/2007)
Engine wear or over heating can easily be over come by electronic oil pumps (which many engines now have) and electronic water pumps (which are coming soon). Of course, it would probably require extra battery capacity in the toughest conditions, like big traffic jams.
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Tool 2:32PM (3/26/2007)
The automakers piss and moan about the proposed 4% annual improvements in MPG.
Then there are clear technological innovations like this start-stop device that would make a huge dent in gas usage and GHG emissions. And it would probably cost $100/vehicle across a vehicle line to implement.
The automakers continue to drag their heals on stuff like this and that is quite a disappointment.
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Calguy 3:05PM (3/26/2007)
This is brilliant technology. I think Citroen had it first on a non-hybrid and
I don't really understand why it's not integrated into EVERY car. I agree with TOOL that the whining from the automakers is tired.
It's time for them to get a little MacGyver-ish in the engineering department and make meaningful improvements in MPG. Especially when every car is getting fatter, wider, heavier, with more and more HP.
My fun, 1992 Honda Civic VX got 52mpg with a normal engine and decent safety. It's astonishing that there's nothing that's non-hybrid that comes close now.
I want more MPG with normal cars as well as hybrids. I'd kind of like to still be able to have a car in 20 years.. so saving fossil fuels now, sounds pretty sexy to me.
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CaliberSRT4 3:06PM (3/26/2007)
I would of thought starting and stopping an engine would cause worse gas mileage. It burns fuel just to start a car??
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Kumar 3:19PM (3/26/2007)
I was excited about the 4 door yaris coming to the states with its stop/start system, which would jack up the mpg into the 40's. Unfortunately, Toyota didn't bring it, and on top of that, they only gave us the dinky 2 door, and the boring sedan.
Yes, they saved the 4 door for the scion nameplate, but offering two skins on the same car was their best chance of keeping scion for their original target audience, and other toyotas for the over 25 crowd like me.
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Kamil 3:20PM (3/26/2007)
Which car has an electric oil pump? I can't think of one.
Electric P/S pumps, electric water pumps, yes, but I've yet to hear of an electric oil pump. Which car has one?
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ruggels 3:31PM (3/26/2007)
LMAO cheezwiz311, thank you for reminding me that i can count on the autoblog comment section to play devils advocate no mater how ridiculous :P.
This is awesome, i was just commenting about this to a friend yesterday when discussing my hybrid camry, how it'd be great if all cars could turn the engine off at stop. I can't wait to see this in every car in ten years (yay for quick adoption! :P).
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Jason H 5:12PM (3/26/2007)
Maybe RickDom is thinking of a fuel pump, because I can't think aof a single car with an electric oil pump either.
CaliberSRT4, an engine doesn't use any more fuel when starting than it does while running, so shutting it off when stopped will always burn less fuel.
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RickDom 4:59PM (3/26/2007)
The Lexus GS and RX hybrids both use electronic oil pumps (made by AISIN, who I work for, but not on engine components). I believe most hybrids already have them, if not on the engine, then in the trans.
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Bill 4:44PM (3/26/2007)
Electric oil pumps have existed. I remember seeing a piece about them on "Motorweek", probably 15 or 20 years ago, and the rationale then was extended engine life.
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TheClassic 4:09PM (3/26/2007)
Does this work using only a 12V system. I remember this being one of the benefits of a switch to a 48V or higher standard.
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rgseidl 4:14PM (3/26/2007)
@ruggels: Actually, cheezwiz311 has a point. VW had introduced idle stop on a Polo Eco-something-or-other as well as the Lupo some years back but customers were indeed worried they might take too long to get going at the stoplight. This new system uses a more powerful starter motor plus a beefier battery to execute the warm start reliably and in a fraction of the time. Valeo has something similar. Separately, Bosch R&D is working on "direct start" for GDI engines, which provides combustion assist for the starter motor as early as the second crankshaft revolution.
@Kamil: Wear is greatest during an engine cold start. Warm starts are much less of a problem. It's possible that you need to use a special (synthetic) engine oil for maximum protection, especially in winter.
Btw, while I can't think of a car that uses a electric pump for primary circulation, there are now some that feature variable volume flow. Also, every turbo engine comes with an auxiliary oil pump that maintains lubricant/coolant flow through the turbo housing for a while after the engine is switched off, to prevent coking and heat damage to the turbo's bearings.
@CaliberSRT4: idle stop will save you 5% combined-cycle, as much as 10% in stop-and-go traffic. The additional electrical energy required is recuperated during braking.
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adelossa 4:32PM (3/26/2007)
that car is so cute!
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G. Snyder 4:59PM (3/26/2007)
Kamil et al - BMW has been working on rolling out fully and/or partially electric water and oil pumps as part of the efforts to extract maximum efficiency from the engine - so perhaps both technologies will collide. BMW's target is to minimize parasitic loss so that the power can be used for more sporting intentions. Increased MPG is an added benefit.
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tbyron 5:00PM (3/26/2007)
Um, what's with the tone here? GM introduces light hybrid systems on their pickups and Saturns that achieve similar benefits and everyone jumps ALL over them for not offering full hybrids. Have we learned so much in the last 6 months, or is this bias?
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