Fuel-reducing feature wins technology award
Written by Tom Benjamin.
A system that reduces fuel consumption by automatically shutting down the engine when the driver stops the vehicle has won the Technology of the Year award at the 2009 Automotive Researchers’ and Journalists’ Conference of Japan (RJC).
Mazda’s i-stop system is fitted to direct-injection engines and uses combustion energy to restart the engine in just 0.35 seconds.
This system might appeal to bargain-hunting motorists, who know where to go for cheap car bulbs, for example, as reduced fuel consumption means fewer trips to the petrol garage.
Seita Kanai, senior managing executive officer at Mazda, said: "Mazda’s i-stop system is one of the green technologies that form the base of our future product strategy. It improves fuel economy without adversely affecting driving performance."
Mr Kanai said that he believes the system "perfectly" reflects Mazda’s commitment to provide its customers with "driving pleasure" as well as environmental and safety performance.
The system will also reduce CO2 emissions from personal car travel, which, according to Act on CO2, is the single biggest source of personal CO2 emissions in the UK.
