70% of new cars in Europe are equipped with start/stop systems

Improved fuel economy entice OEMs to adopt this technology

2013/02/14

Summary

Major OEM's average CO2 emissions in 2011 and distance to 2012 target Newly launched vehicles in Europe are increasingly equipped with a start/stop system, which saves fuel consumption at relatively low costs. It is because, for newly registered passenger cars in the EU, the EU has set a target for the average value of CO2 emissions per vehicle kilometer as 130g CO2/km by 2015 and has also proposed to reduce it to 95g CO2/km by 2020. From 2012, the EU requires payment of excess emissions premiums of OEMs exceeding their targets, based on the amount of exceedance.

 The average EU emission of all OEMs in 2011 was 135.7g CO2/km. Although 18 out of 20 major OEMs already met their 2012 targets in 2011, they have to reduce it further in order to meet the 2015 and 2020 targets.

 Start/stop systems cost less than the HV and EV. They are capable of improving the fuel economy by 5 to 10% through installation in the existing internal combustion engines. Bosch, the major supplier of the start/stop systems, predicts that one out of two newly registered cars in Europe will mount the system in 2013.

 Recently, an increasing number of start/stop systems disable engines during deceleration before a complete stop in order to extend the period that the engine can be shut off as long as possible. Some systems incorporate large capacity capacitors to complement power. Systems to stop engines while coasting at high speeds are also under development.

 Start/stop systems are available with 16 out of 22 new passenger cars launched in Europe in approximately a year and a half between the summer of 2011 and the end of 2012. Daimler provides the system in all the five new models as standard, while BMW offers it on most of the grades of its two new models. As for Volkswagen Group, two VW brand models and most grades of two Audi brand models on sale since 2012 come with its start/stop system as standard. Renault, General Motors and Ford offer the system as standard on some grades of their new vehicles. All the Volvo's new vehicles have it as standard.

Related Reports: Equipment on new European models (1) (Oct. 2012), (2) (Oct. 2012)

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