Mahindra hopes micro hybrids make a dent in Indian sales

Letting engines idle away needlessly while a vehicle is at rest is a practice that's definitely on its way out. Some refer to the technology that ends this behavior automatically as stop/start, while others prefer the term micro hybrid. Whatever the case, the underlining technology is the same. The trick lies in making it all work seamlessly and keeping auxiliary bits like the air conditioning compressor and power steering pump working without the power of the internal combustion engine; a small battery with an electric motor is often the solution. India's Mahindra has big plans for the technology, which is already slated for installation in the firm's Scorpio and Bolero SUVs. Assuming those launches go well, Mahindra CEO Pawan Goenka says that the automaker will roll the new tech to its other models. The Indian company hopes that this lower-cost alternative to full-hybrids such as the Toyota Prius will make better financial sense and therefore sell better than their more expensive siblings.

[Source: Sify via EV World - survey req'd]