One of the simplest fuel-saving technologies for automobiles involves what’s happening when they’re not moving.
With buy-in from thirteen leading automakers, President Obama recently announced a historic agreement to increase the Corporate Average Fuel Economy, or CAFÉ, standards for new cars and light trucks.
The proposed standards are, by all accounts, a game-changer that will transform the next generation of vehicles sold in the United States. If achieved, by 2025 fleet-wide efficiency would increase from today’s standards of 27.5 mpg to 54.5 mpg – nearly doubling.
This would mean less oil used, less money spent at the gas pump, and lower greenhouse gas emissions to the atmosphere.
Most encouraging, the new goals aren’t based on pipe dreams, but improvements in aerodynamics and what a car does when it’s not moving.
“That’s where an ultracapacitor comes in,” said Ioxus CEO Mark McGough when Earth Wise recently took a tour of the Oneonta, N.Y. facility. “We can be used as part of what’s called a start-stop system where a regular combustion engine is literally turned off at the stop light.”
Ultracapacitors discharge their power and recharge very quickly over-and-over.
Already popular overseas, this technology allows vehicles to avoid wasting energy while stuck in traffic jams or at stoplights. Ultracapacitors help the engine restart quickly without the driver even noticing. And it’s an inexpensive technology.
“A micro-hybrid can instantly improve the fuel efficiency of that exact same car by 10-15% just by adding a $150 component consisting of ultracaps and a special starting system,” added McGough.
Car makers such as Ford and Toyota are already offering start-stop technology in vehicles sold abroad. Look for it to be phased into American cars soon. It’s an example of a better environment through technology.
Web Extra
Think ultracapacitors are cool? How about a hybrid ultracapacitors! They’re able to hold a charge longer, but still recharge super quick. Mark McGough explains: