2012 Ford, Ford to Offer Engine Stop-Start on Nonhybrids Beginning in 2012
Technology that shuts down a vehicle’s engine at stoplights is nothing new to anyone that’s driven or ridden in a hybrid. If you’ve missed that particular slice of automotive pie, the effect is the same as when your weird, 60-year-old hippie uncle insists on shutting off his car’s engine at every opportunity to save gas. In conventional cars, automatic stop/start tech has heretofore been limited in the U.S. to high-end stuff like the Porsche Panamera, but Ford will begin offering such setups on its vehicles in 2012.
The function of a stop/start system is simple. When the car is stationary, it shuts the engine off. When you lift off the brake pedal (or shift into gear with a manual transmission), the engine starts again and you’re on your way—at least in theory. Most systems we’ve experienced so far can be less than smooth if you’re in a rush.
The hardware changes involved in Ford’s system are minor, just an upgraded starter motor and an enhanced battery, the latter of which is needed to handle the extra load of running the accessories for longer periods of time. It also uses an electric pump to keep coolant flowing through the HVAC heat exchanger to provide uninterrupted cabin warming while the engine is off.
Ford won’t say what models will come with the new stop/start function, but since the new European C-Max has it, it’s a pretty good assumption that we’ll see the system on our version of the C-Max as well. From there, availability should expand to other models with four-cylinder engines, like the Focus and Fiesta.
Although stop/start is widely available on European-market cars and its fuel-economy benefit is not insignificant—particularly considering the minor upgrades necessary for operation—manufacturers have dragged their feet bringing these systems to the U.S. Due to the construction of the EPA tests, the impact of stop/start systems on U.S. mileage ratings is minimal. But with stricter standards imminent, carmakers will take any boost they can get. Ford claims its stop/start system can improve city fuel economy by up to 10 percent, and should increase the EPA city-mileage estimate by 1 to 2 mpg.
Technology that shuts down a vehicle’s engine at stoplights is nothing new to anyone that’s driven or ridden in a hybrid. If you’ve missed that particular slice of automotive pie, the effect is the same as when your weird, 60-year-old hippie uncle insists on shutting off his car’s engine at every opportunity to save gas. In conventional cars, automatic stop/start tech has heretofore been limited in the U.S. to high-end stuff like the Porsche Panamera, but Ford will begin offering such setups on its vehicles in 2012.
The function of a stop/start system is simple. When the car is stationary, it shuts the engine off. When you lift off the brake pedal (or shift into gear with a manual transmission), the engine starts again and you’re on your way—at least in theory. Most systems we’ve experienced so far can be less than smooth if you’re in a rush.
The hardware changes involved in Ford’s system are minor, just an upgraded starter motor and an enhanced battery, the latter of which is needed to handle the extra load of running the accessories for longer periods of time. It also uses an electric pump to keep coolant flowing through the HVAC heat exchanger to provide uninterrupted cabin warming while the engine is off.
Ford won’t say what models will come with the new stop/start function, but since the new European C-Max has it, it’s a pretty good assumption that we’ll see the system on our version of the C-Max as well. From there, availability should expand to other models with four-cylinder engines, like the Focus and Fiesta.
Although stop/start is widely available on European-market cars and its fuel-economy benefit is not insignificant—particularly considering the minor upgrades necessary for operation—manufacturers have dragged their feet bringing these systems to the U.S. Due to the construction of the EPA tests, the impact of stop/start systems on U.S. mileage ratings is minimal. But with stricter standards imminent, carmakers will take any boost they can get. Ford claims its stop/start system can improve city fuel economy by up to 10 percent, and should increase the EPA city-mileage estimate by 1 to 2 mpg.
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