Bosch has developed a Smart Electronic Start/Stop system that switches off the engine if the vehicle is standing still, e.g. in a traffic jam or at a red light. To move on again, the driver simply actuates the clutch, and the engine starts automatically.

Unique systems know-how from Bosch

That sounds easy enough, but is the result of a very complex interplay between the engine management system and a number of sensors. In the fraction of a second, the engine management checks whether the engine is idle, the wheels are standing still and the battery has sufficient starting power. If all that is true, the engine is switched off. Actuating the clutch is enough to start the engine again quickly, quietly and reliably. In this new system, Bosch has incorporated its combined drivetrain, energy management and starter technology
know-how.

Cutting fuel consumption and emissions

On a 4.3 mile test route with twelve stops of 15 seconds
each, the new Bosch system cuts fuel consumption and
CO₂ emissions by up to 8% depending on the vehicle type.
If the stops are longer, the percentage saving of fuel and CO₂ emissions can be far higher. A customized Start/Stop system from Bosch is already on the road in BMW cars: 1 and 3 series BMWs have had the system since March 2007. And Bosch delivers the key component: a starter specifically developed
for this technology.

Economic and effective

Developers at Bosch have built a special starter for the Start/Stop process – the Start/Stop starter. The service life
of the starter was extended considerably for this application.
In addition, the more powerful electrical starter motor and reinforced low-noise pinion mechanism ensure reliable, fast and quiet engine starting. Despite its expanded functions, the starter is compact and as easy and fast to build into cars as other models. Further adjustments of the drivetrain or engine compartment are not required. The excellent cost-benefit ratio of the system therefore compares very impressively with alternative products.