Westworld Alberta
Issue link: http://westworldmagazine.ama.ab.ca/i/80542
Tough tickers If a vehicle's computer is the brain of a stop-start system, the battery is the heart. And stop-start vehicles need a strong heart. Most use absorbed glass mat (AGM) batteries instead of the standard lead-acid variety. (AGM batteries have saturated glass-fi bre mats in place of a gelled or liquid elec- trolyte.) These are more costly, but capable of supplying the extra juice required for frequent start-ups and running a vehicle's electrical systems when the engine is inactive. Idling: it all adds up Even seconds of engine downtime, a few times per day, can add up to fuel savings and reduced carbon emissions. According to Transport Canada, vehicles with stop-start systems save up to 11.5 per cent in fuel over vehicles without the technology, in typical city traffi c. That's $5.75 on a $50 fi ll-up. If every driver of a light-duty vehicle avoided idling by three minutes a day, over a year, we would collec- tively save 630 million litres of fuel and keep more than 1.4 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions out of the air. In the showroom A growing number of automakers are offering stop-start technology on their combustion-only models. BMW has been including stop-start in Minis since 2007 and is now rolling the technology out to more of its product line. And starting this fall, Ford will be offering stop- start on its Fusion SE 1.6-litre EcoBoost-engine models for $150 in Canada. The company estimates that the technology will save drivers more than $1,000 on fuel within the fi rst fi ve years of owner- ship. Other companies, such as Toyota, Mazda, Honda and Nissan, haven't introduced stop-start in North America outside of hybrids. But it's likely only a matter of time. Fair-weather friend? Most stop-start systems won't operate at tempera- tures below –7 C because they depend on the engine maintaining an "optimum operating temperature," says Brendan Magee, general manager of Club Assist Canada, which supplies vehicle batteries to CAA. For many of us, that means the benefi ts of stop- start won't be realized for a good chunk of the year. However, most Canadians will still save enough on fuel, over time, to make the initial outlay worthwhile. "Canadians will see emission reductions and fuel savings for the better part of the year," Magee says. "As with all technology, if it saves consumers money, it will be adopted." In this case, consumers are also getting the opportunity — for a low premium — to reduce their carbon footprint, he adds. "I look forward to the day when all engines are operating in start-stop mode in the lineup at Tim Hortons." Getty Images, iStock WESTWORLD >> SEPTEMBER 2012 47