New Flash: Smart new gas-saving technology from smart
The smart fourtwo that will be sold in the U.S. next year will reportedly feature a new gas-saving technology already used on BMW’s 1-series. Hybrid vehicles have a start-stop feature that shuts off the engine while the car is at a stop, and then quickly re-starts it when the driver depresses the gas pedal. The fourtwo, though not a hybrid, will feature the same technology, resulting in a 13% reduction in fuel usage in an urban setting.
The smart fourtwo with the start/stop system will be powered by a 1.0-liter, 71 horsepower engine mated to a 5-speed sequential gearbox. A belt-driven starter/generator functions as both the starter motor and alternator. This starter/generator also reduces, by ¼ of a second, the time it takes for the engine to gain enough rpms to engage the clutch… resulting in less fuel used in pulling away from a stop. This, combined with the engine shutdown during stops, produces the 13% reduction in gasoline consumption.
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