That’s because Ford will offer start-stop on the non-hybrid Fusion with a 1.6litre EcoBoost engine starting from the 2013 model year.
The start-stop system saves fuel when the car is standing or idle – with savings varying based on driving patterns. It is believed that with car owners who spend large amounts of time in heavy urban areas and city traffic, a start-stop system could help them to reduce fuel consumption by as much as 10 per cent.
In the case of the Ford auto start-stop system, it includes a 12V battery designed for long lasting service with no need for additional maintenance. It allows the engine to be restarted seamlessly once a driver removes their foot off the brake pedal.
The emphasis on auto start-stop systems follows on from a study by the United States Department of the Treasury which estimates that congestion consumed an extra 1.9billion gallons of fuel in 2011 – that’s around five per cent of the total petrol used in the USA.
The new Ford Fusion with EcoBoost engine will be available from the autumn.
