Start-stop systems in hybrid vehicles shut off the engine when the car is stopped to save fuel and reduce emissions. They use a starter generator and can be deactivated. However, hybrid vehicles have been criticized for posing a hazard to pedestrians and blind children.
Hybrid vehicles designed with a start-stop system completely shut off the engine when the car is stopped to save fuel and reduce emissions that pollute the environment. Electronic devices determine when the driver is stopped or idling, and automatically shut off the engine. The vehicle is restarted by depressing the clutch on vehicles with manual transmissions, or moving up a gear level on cars with automatic transmissions. Start-stop systems have proven their worth in congested city driving.
These energy saving systems use a starter generator instead of the typical alternator and starter combination found in conventional vehicles. Electronics built into cars regulate the starter in a fuel engine with a start-stop system. Electricity is drawn from a battery to restart the engine as soon as the transmission pushes in the clutch, moves the gear level to drive, or presses the accelerator.
These vehicles are commonly called “microhybrids,” but they don’t use batteries like hybrid electric cars. The start-stop system previously only appeared on vehicles with manual transmissions. Car designers refined the design to include cars with automatic transmissions to save fuel in intermittent traffic and in the city with multiple stop lights. The system can be deactivated through a control on the instrument panel.
Hybrid manufacturers who use a start-stop system estimate substantial fuel savings for those who drive primarily in cities. The environmental benefit of decreased air pollution has not been precisely measured. Some countries offer discounts on hybrid vehicle purchases, including those with a stop-start system.
Although hybrid vehicles conserve fuel and reduce air pollution, they have been criticized for posing a hazard to pedestrians and blind children. Electric cars are essentially silent at low speeds and do not provide a warning to the blind, who rely on sound to tell when a vehicle is nearby. Studies have shown that pedestrian accidents increased after the advent of electric cars. In some regions, hybrid vehicles must add a sound device to improve pedestrian safety.
The start-stop system is just a hybrid car innovation developed over the years. The first electric and gasoline engine was invented in 1901 by Ferdinand Porsche. He designed a gas-powered generator that powers several smaller engines. The basic concept of Porsche’s gas-electric car remains practical, but improved technology has led to better fuel efficiency and better performance of hybrid cars.
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