Micro-hybrid car market moves towards mainstream

One of the clearest motoring trends to emerge from September’s Frankfurt Motor Show is the growth of Stop-Start technology.

Of the 20 plus new cars at the show fitted with VARTA batteries by Johnson Controls, nearly a quarter of them featured an AGM battery to power this energy-saving technology.  The technology conserves energy by shutting off the engine whenever the car stops, such as at a traffic light. The decrease in fuel consumption results in savings of up to 12 per cent, and lower CO2 emissions.

Driven by EU targets to reduce CO2, the micro-hybrid market is accelerating.  Since the adoption of Stop-Start technology in the BMW 1 Series, more than a million micro-hybrid cars with VARTA AGM battery power have been sold in Europe.

An estimated 2.5 million micro hybrid vehicles will be manufactured by 2010, and this is expected to rise to 10 million by 2015. The AGM (absorbent glass mat) battery is an integrated component within the micro-hybrid battery management system, also supporting more advanced features such as regenerative braking, intelligent voltage control and alternator control through passive boost in some models.

As car manufacturers are forced to respond to CO2 reduction targets set by the EU by introducing smaller, lighter, more fuel efficient vehicles, Johnson Controls European Automotive Product Manager Tony Miller predicts that micro-hybrid models will soon become a mainstream player in the new car market.

“More and more consumers are now being influenced EU initiatives for city access restrictions and fines on vehicles with high CO2 emissions, “he says.

A recent survey showed that  61% of consumers either currently own, or plan to make their next car purchase a more fuel-efficient vehicle, and suggests that in the near future, CO2  emissions will become an important factor in car buying decisions.
 
“From our perspective as the leading supplier in Europe with over 80 per cent of the original equipment market, AGM batteries required for Stop-Start are set to move from niche market to core product line for both original fitment and component replacement with our VARTA Ultra Dynamic AGM battery range in the aftermarket,” he adds.