Start Stop

1.5- and 2.0-liter motors both have fuel-saving system that shuts down engine when car is idle.

Germany-based automotive supplier Hella has developed start-stop technology that can shut down an engine at speeds of up to 60 miles per hour if using all that torque is deemed unnecessary. This added benefit could increase fuel economy savings up to 10 percent over traditional stop-start systems that shut down the engine when the car is stopped, Martin Fischer, president of Hella Electronics, said at the recent Society of Automotive Engine

Japan and Europe are getting a redesigned Toyota Auris hatchback, one that can use start/stop to increase efficiency. Launching today in Japan, the new Auris comes in a few trim levels, with the most efficient package being the 1.5-liter model with Super CVT-i transmission and optional Toyota Stop & Start idling-stop function for 19.2 kilometers per liter (45 miles per gallon) on the lenient JC08

The come-hither 2012 Kia Rio has been bolting off dealer lots for obvious reasons that go beyond its $14,350 price. One of its noteworthy features for the U.S. market, especially for the segment, is stop/start, which Kia calls ISG for Idle, Stop & Go. Media feedback, however, has convinced Kia that ISG is not quite ready for prime time, so it's been sent back to

After a four-plus-year hiatus, Honda will resume production of minicars (a.k.a. Kei cars, vehicles with engine displacements of 660 cc or less) for Japan. Coming first for the Honda line-up is a yet-to-be unveiled wagon-type minivehicle that's scheduled to roll off the lines this December.

Johnson Controls announced Wednesday that it's investing $100 million to construct a stop-start automotive battery factory in China. The facility will supply global and local automakers in Asia and is expected to gear up for production in early 2013. Kim Metcalf-Kupres, vice president strategy, sales and marketing at Johnson Controls Power Solutions says China, "will continue to

PowerGenix, a manufacturer of rechargeable nickel-zinc (NiZn) batteries, has unveiled its first prototype power pack developed exclusively for the burgeoning micro-hybrid (aka stop-start or idle-stop) segment. PowerGenix claims that its NiZn batteries offer several advantages over the lead-acid units typically found in most of today's micro-hybrids. NiZn batteries are approximately half the size and weight of their lead-acid counterparts and boast a significantly longer lifespan. These performan

Back in 2008, Volvo launched its DRIVe range of vehicles in Europe. At that time, the Swedish automaker claimed that every DRIVe model would offer "best in class consumption" and "lowest CO2 emissions levels." The Volvo C30, S40 and V50 were the f

Given the multifaceted approach to making more efficient vehicles favored by Ford, an automaker that employs everything from EcoBoost to hybrids, pure electrics to less thirsty gas models – it's not that surprising to learn that the company is announcing that it is expanding use of stop-start technology to more U.S. vehicles in 20

Given the multifaceted approach to making more efficient vehicles favored by Ford, an automaker that employs everything from EcoBoost to hybrids, pure electrics to less thirsty gas models – it's not that surprising to learn that the company is announcing that it is expanding use of start-stop technology to more U.S. vehicles in 20

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, Eric Loveday

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 wi

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 compare

2011 Ford Focus Econetic – Click above for high-res image gallery