The global Start-Stop market for new vehicles could reach 53 million annually by 2020.
Johnson Controls today said it is expanding the production of advanced batteries for Start-Stop vehicles because of growing demand for better fuel economy. The company will increase its existing Absorbent Glass Mat (AGM) battery capacity in its Toledo, Ohio plant, bringing the overall investment to $130 million since the start of production for this technology in the U.S. in 2012. The technology gained its popularity in Europe followed by the U.S. and China.
Start-Stop allows up to a 5% fuel economy improvement when compared with a conventional vehicle. The technology automatically shuts off the engine when the car is idle and restarts it when the driver’s foot leaves the brake pedal. During this time, the vehicle’s electrical systems use energy from an advanced lead-acid battery rather than the gas-powered engine, thus saving fuel.
“Most auto makers have already announced plans to have a majority of new vehicles equipped with Start-Stop or similar technology within the next three to five years,” adds Oklobdzija. “Our battery supply contracts for the Ford F-150 and Chevy Malibu underscore this trend, which predicts about 9 million Start-Stop vehicles will be on the road in the U.S. by 2020.”
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn.
He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe.
Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap.
AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks.
Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.
