Mazda had announced that they've developed the Smart Idle Stop System (SSIS)coupled with Direct Fuel Injection. While it might sound the same as most Start-Stop Systems first developed and used by Volkswagen in the 1980s, and popularized by the new New Mini with which BMW launched awhile ago; it's fundamentally different in terms of how it works.Until now, all start-stop systems employs the use of a small electric motor charged by Regenerative Brakes, with the stored energy used to start the engine after the engine was idled every time the vehicle comes to a halt, or say traffic jams, and when the driver releases the brakes, the electric motor would start the engine immediately, which takes around 0.7 seconds. By reducing the idle time for the engine (which is still burning fuel), start stop systems proves to save around 5 - 10% petrol costs, depending on the amount of traffic jams that particular vehicle was subjected to.
Mazda's system, by stopping the engine with the pistons and valves all at the optimum position for a re-start, and when it's required to start, petrol would be pumped into the combustion chambers and only a small amount of electricity is needed to ignite the spark plugs, using traditional combustion to turn the engine, instead of an electric motor rotating the engine in most start stop systems today. This application achieves a higher degree of fuel efficiency, and most important of all, it costs alot less to implement.
There is a catch however, for at the meantime, this system could only be deployed to automatic transmission cars. So it's a momentary 'Bye Bye' to Europe where most car buyers preferred manual boxes for economy cars.
