NY Times: Johnson Controls Offers Start-Stop (Micro Hybrid) Battery System

It belongs here, IMHO.
I've wondered why more cars don't have the ability to shut off automatically at stoplights, etc. Now I have a better idea of what it takes to get it done.

I understand that in several European countries, shutting off at stoplights is required, whether or not you have one of these systems, so if you don't, you have to turn the key or something when the light goes green. I've even known a few Americans who did this regularly.

Even if it only saves 5% of fuel, that's a big jump all at once. I hope the economics can work.

 

The US epa test does not improve with start stop technology.

That seems down right retarded. Many diesels use more energy to start than would be saved in the stop.

I doubt start stop alone will save nearly that much fuel, but they are relatively inexpensive. The ford fusion option on the 1.6L engine is only $300. I think it comes with an advanced lead acid battery and a beefed up starter, I'm not sure what else. There are savings to be had by removing the parasitic loss in AC, by adding one of these new batteries and an electric AC like is used in the Prius. As lithium batteries get less expensive this thing may not cost much more than an advanced lead acid battery. IRRC JCI is the leader in US and Europe on advanced lead acid, but no one else has a hybrid lead acid/lithium battery. This might also make sense for high powered stereos and electric power steering.

 

I don't think that is correct. In the 5 cycles total, 4 of them have complete stops.

 

The stops are so short that the start up energy is close to the energy saved by turning the engine off. Many of us that drive in traffic have stops much longer than on the test. The European test, where many start stop systems are sold does have longer stops. Ford has said that the reason it has taken so long for them to bring start stop here is little difference on the test.

 

The Fusion and the Kia car with it gained maybe a mile per gallon. The new CAFE regulations do give manufacturers a credit for start/stop systems.

Mazada's system elegant, possibly more so than HSD. The computer has precise monitoring of cylinder positions. To start, it fires off one for a little back spin, and then fires off the one that compresses to get the engine revving. Can't wait to see what it can do coupled with their capacitor regenerative braking.

 

Isn't this similar to the hybrid system GM started using in the Saturns?

 

Compare Side-by-Side

Well I said not much difference. If you check out the car with start stop gets the same combined figure of 28 mpg. It does get 1 mpg more in both highway and city tests, but these must only be small fractional differences that cause rounding the other way. In the real world differences should be bigger, but if you only stick with the test would you pay $300 more to get 28.3 mpg instead of 27.7 mpg? I don't really know the unrounded test figures. Note the Nissan with its CVT beats the fusion start stop in the city epa test by 3 mpg but YMMV.

The new JCI battery should allow for electric air-conditioning, making start stop much more energy saving. A start stop system with conventional airconditioning can not stop the engine without turning off the ac or defroster.

 

I'm not sure where I stand on this....but I eagerly await Bob Lutz taking credit for thinking of it first.