The technology may not be well known in North America, but global sales of vehicles featuring stop-start technology will rise from three million units in 2011 to 37.3million units in 2020.
That’s the prediction of Pike Research, which points out that stop-start vehicles are already outselling hybrid vehicles globally and it now expects that the gap will widen to a 16 to one ratio by 2017 due to the lower cost of stop-start vehicles.
Also known as micro-hybrids, the technology stops the engine when the vehicle slows or is idling and requires more robust batteries and starter systems than are found in a regular internal combustion engine. They offer five- to 10 per cent reductions in fuel consumption and CO2 emissions.
The company’s analysis finds that Europe has seen the greatest selection of vehicles with stop-start technology and the largest volume of vehicles sold while North America has experienced relatively slow penetration. Indeed Western Europe will represent 98 per cent of sales in 2011; while North America will only pass the one million sold annually mark in 2014.
Its conclusion is that the sales of stop-start batteries will grow from $827million in 2011 to $8.9billion in 2020 at a compound annual growth rate of 30 per cent.
