Start Stop System

The Opel Astra 1.3 CDTI ecoFLEX five-door hatchback is already a fuel miser, but with the addition of an optional start-stop system, the Astra now sips even less diesel. Opel claims that, when equipped with start-stop, the ecoFLEX's CO2 emissions drop from 109 grams per kilometer down to 104 g/km and fuel economy jumps from 47.6 miles per gallon up to 50 mpg.

Ferrari California – Click above for high-res image gallery

Since introducing its start/stop technology back in 2007, Bosch has sold 1.5 million of the fuel-saving systems to automakers worldwide. Most of Bosch's start/stop systems have resided in vehicles equipped with manual transmissions. Recently, Bosch began working with numerous automakers – including Fiat, Porsche, Audi and Volkswagen – to develop a start/stop system that could be used reliably on vehicles with conventional automatic transmissions, dual-clutch gearboxes and automated m

We've discussed the virtues of stop-start technology (aka micro hybrid) before and we've even touched on many of the upcoming models that are slated to receive this fuel-saving technology soon, but we never really expected that the stop-start system would become so widespread in application that even vehicles like BMW's vaunted M3 would be scheduled to receive the micro hybrid setup soon.

2011 Citroën C4 – Click above for high-res image gallery

The Japanese Society of Automotive Engineers has selected a pair of researchers from Mazda to be honored for their work on efficiency and emissions reduction technologies, i-Stop and a new single nano-catalyst.

In Europe, where Mercedes-Benz still sells cars with four-cylinder engines, the C-Class has just received an efficiency update for 2011. The direct-inject gasoline C180 and C200 CGI BlueEfficiency models are now available with six-speed manual gearboxes and automatic start-stop systems. The C180 and C200 produce 156 and 184 horsepower, respectively, while cutting fuel consumption compared to previous port injected models by 10 percent. That puts them at 35.1 miles per gallon (U.S.) and 34.6 mpg,

The Fiat 500 Start&Stop (click to enlarge)