It turns out that the technology for shutting off the engine while stopped does not require the rest of the hybrid system. What’s more, alone it can still result in notable improvements in fuel efficiency and emissions reductions. PSA Peugeot Citroën has announced its ‘Stop & Start’ technology, which reduces fuel consumption by 15% in heavy traffic, 10% in city driving, and 6% in ‘combined cycle’ use (city and highway driving, where stopping is less common).

I say: take Baby Steps – in the voice of Bill Murray… installing Stop + Start tech on every car could save millions of gallons in a year… will somebody please do the math for me, as I am too lazy this afternoon? We are somewhere in or near Oklahoma in a hotel, while the bus drivers are resting for tonight’s drive to St. Louis. Here is another interesting point:

The auto-stop feature is one of two standard hybrid technologies which could result in significant fuel savings if used in non-hybrid vehicles. The other is the mileage readout. Having a real-time indicator of how one’s driving affects one’s fuel consumption is simultaneously a trigger for competitive, “got to get that number higher” urges and a beautiful example of making the invisible visible. Most people don’t know what kind of mileage they get in their cars, or at best assume that the EPA estimates are right (they’re not). I know that I’ve changed my driving habits because of the readout in my hybrid, and anecdotal evidence suggests I’m far from the only one.
[Another World Is Here]

Yeah, I changed my driving style as well.