start-stop system

The 2012 Kia Rio and 2012 Kia Soul models had been poised to be eco-tech trailblazers, as the first affordable mass-market models in the U.S. to offer stop-start, which smartly shuts down the engine when it would otherwise be needlessly idling and automatically (and quickly) restarts it. But plans...Read More»

If you've ever driven a hybrid, you're likely familiar with the idea: You're sitting at a stoplight, with your foot on the brake pedal, and the engine simply turns off. When you lift off the brake, or when needed, it starts back up, almost seamlessly. Now that fuel-saving concept, called engine...Read More»

Most of us who grew up driving four-cylinder, carbureted economy cars are familiar with start-stop technology. Thirty years ago, it wasn’t a selling point, but rather the byproduct of carbureted engines attempting to meet ever-stricter emission requirements. The result was a car likely to...Read More»

When you're sitting at a stoplight or stuck in traffic—and you're lucky enough to be behind the wheel of a new 2010 Porsche Panamera or 2011 Porsche Cayenne—you might notice the engine ever so smoothly shut off. Yes, it's supposed to do that; the feature is called Auto Start Stop. But unless...Read More»

Hyundai and Kia will follow the lead of automakers like BMW and Volkswagen by offering fuel-saving engine stop-start technology on some of their cars in the near future, with the first U.S. versions available within the next two years. The system works by shuting down the engine while the car is...Read More»