Ask CATS 7: the road ahead looks brighter.

So you’re sitting at the traffic light waiting for it to turn green and you have nothing else to do besides look at the car in front of you. It may be a beautiful vehicle but it’s not a lovely sight as you witness the white gas emanating from the exhaust. This has been the norm forever and it is something we see on our roads all day, every day. But, this is something that could begin to disappear over the next few years.

With automakers looking to make their cars more fuel-efficient they are beginning to use stop-start systems. Basically, the system shuts down a vehicle’s engine at idle and immediately restarts it when the driver presses the accelerator or lifts off the brake. This is already used in hybrid cars and because of its success is now making its way to conventional vehicles

While this is good news for the environment, it’s also good news for vehicle owners as it will help to reduce gas costs and that unsightly visual.

Research shows automatic stop-start systems improve fuel efficiency.

• Automatic stop-start technology delivers a significant fuel economy benefit.
• Overall results indicate automatic stop-start systems provide a 5 to 7 percent improvement in fuel economy and reduce carbon dioxide emissions compared to the same tests performed with the system disengaged.
• Motorists using vehicles equipped with automatic stop-start systems could save up to $123 (CAD) annually, based on driving 24,100 km a year.
  
  *Availability of vehicles equipped with automatic stop-start technology is projected to increase in North America