First, thing's first. What the heck is start-stop technology? The term is used often enough. It sounds good, yet it's rarely explained. Hence, before we get into the meat of Ford's exciting news, we'd like to first offer you a brief, high-level overview.

Stop-start technologies first emerged across the pond in Europe about four years ago, when legislation for stricter carbon regulations was passed. Used alone it can improve vehicle's fuel economy by between five and 12 percent. Integrated with other fuel-saving technologies, it can improve vehicle's fuel economy by 18-25 percent.

The reason stop-start technology is so appealing is that while it doesn't offer quite as good fuel economy as hybrid technologies, it's a heck of a lot cheaper. It's easy to integrate into a standard internal combustion car - the kind most of us drive today.

Ford start-stop technology incorporates a 12-volt battery in lieu of a car's traditional battery and starter. It's effectively capable of turning off the car's engine when the vehicle is not moving - for example, while you're waiting at a stop sign - while at the same time maintaining the functionality of accessories (i.e. sound system and AC).

Enhancing excitement over Ford's imminent stop-start, are reports that it will be simpler and even less expensive than one of the Blue Oval's foremost competitors. For the sake of putting everything on the table; Ford's stop-start system is also currently slightly less efficient than their competitor's. But remember, it's still in the development stage. According to Birgit Sorgenfrei, Program Manager for Ford Stop-Start Technology, "There are some minor hardware changes"¹ which have yet to be made.

At this time, the American automaker has not disclosed an official market price or revealed which vehicles in their lineup will get stop-start technology. Lindsay Ford, at 11250 Veirs Mill Road in Wheaton, MD, promises you'll be among the first to know.

Source: ¹http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-13746_7-20069323-48.html