PSA Peugeot Citroen will introduce a second generation e-HDi start-stop system which should slash fuel consumption.
From Maxwell Technologies and supplied by Continental AG, the ultracapacitor-based booster system is expected to feature in around one million vehicles over the next three years.
The supercapacitor energy storage unit of the E-Booster.
Known as E-Booster micro-hybrid technology, it takes advantage of every opportunity to turn off the engine, even when rolling at speeds below 12mph. Under normal driving conditions this system can increase mileage by around five per cent; and that figure jumps to 15 per cent in city driving situations with CO2 emissions also dropping by 15 per cent.
It works by using a micro-hybrid e-HDi technology with a new 2.2kW starter-generator that provides a 70 per cent increase over first generation systems. The powerful booster module delivers the power surge needed to ensure the diesel engine starts even at below freezing temperatures; with the module also needed to get the engine to idling speed quickly and make engine noises practically unnoticeable.
The engine restarting will not drain power away from other devices such as the radio, headlights or windshield wipers – instead the power electronics in the E-booster control recharging during the recuperative phase. PSA Peugeot Citroen now hopes to equip around 30 per cent of its diesel cars with the new start-stop system by 2012.
