- In addition to BMW and Mini, three further manufacturers to introduce Bosch start/stop technology within the next few months
- Significant reduction in fuel consumption and CO2 emissions in urban and stop-and-go traffic
- Excellent cost-benefit ratio
Bosch start/stop technology has proven its worth in series application. Since the start of production in 2007, the company has supplied half a million starter-based start/stop systems to BMW and Mini. Especially in urban traffic, vehicle models equipped with this technology consume considerably less fuel, and so emit less CO2. Meanwhile, three further vehicle manufacturers have decided to use this cost-effective and efficient Bosch technology, and are planning roll-out within the next few months.
Start/stop systems switch off the internal combustion engine if the vehicle is stationary – for example in traffic jams or at red traffic lights. Depending on the vehicle concerned, start/stop systems save up to five percent fuel in the New European Driving Cycle (NEDC) and produce correspondingly less CO2. In the urban part of the NEDC, the reduction in consumption and emissions is as much as eight percent. Bosch has considerably increased the specified number of starts of the start/stop starter and – as a consequence – increased its service life compared with a conventional starter. The more powerful electric starter motor as well as low-noise, enhanced meshing mechanics guarantee safe, fast, and quiet engine starts. Despite its extended functional scope, the starter is compact and remains very easy to integrate in the vehicle. Unlike other technologies, this approach is also suitable for cold starts in diesel engines.
Bosch start/stop systems can draw on the expertise of its starter technology, drivetrain, and energy management fields. To this day, Bosch has sold more than 300 million conventional starters worldwide. As the system approach is largely based on existing components, an excellent cost-benefit ratio is a further argument in this Bosch technology’s favor. The system as a whole includes control software which can be integrated in the respective engine control unit, a crankshaft sensor with evaluation electronics, and a battery sensor. The battery sensor calculates the current battery charge level and relays this information to the system’s energy management. Moreover, for reliable start/stop operation, Bosch supplies alternators with a higher level of efficiency. They ensure that the battery always has sufficient energy stored for start/stop operations.
