Fuel-saving engines that automatically switch off at the traffic lights will be standard on all new cars inside five years, the head of Mercedes-Benz ’s Research and Development group told Leftlane. First seen on Volkswagen ’s 1.2-litre Lupo fuel sipper in 1999, the Start-Stop engine technology has made a comeback, with Audi , Mercedes-Benz and BMW all heavily investing in it.
Benz has just released its revised A-Class with two Start-Stop-equipped versions in Europe, while other German companies will quickly follow suit.
“In my point of view, Start-Stop will be a base technology for all passenger cars,” Dr. Thomas Weber insisted.
“That may be different in Europe to, say, Saudi Arabia, but it is the easiest and fastest way to use less fuel – and you can do it tomorrow.
“In five years it will be standard in the premium classes.”
Benz debuted its Start-Stop system, which uses a belt-driven starter-generator to replace the standard alternator and starter motor, in the smart Micro Hybrid Drive in October, 2008, claiming a 19 percent reduction in fuel consumption in city traffic.
It will also release the system in Europe as an option on its A150 and A170 models from the third quarter of this year.
With the Mercedes system, the driver moves the manual gear-shift (it’s not yet available on automatics) to neutral while applying the brakes. The system smoothly kills the engine, while on-board systems, such as air conditioning and the entertainment unit, are powered by strengthened batteries.
The engine re-starts comfortably when the brake is released or the clutch pedal is pushed in.
“Start-stop started with petrol engines because there are questions with diesel for this,” Dr Weber admitted.
“The tension in the belt must be higher because of the higher compression in the engine and that raises longevity questions that we haven’t answered yet,” he said.
Words by Michael Taylor.
