Ashwoods Automotive launched retrofit stop-start technology, claimed to reduce fuel consumption by 5–10%, at the Millbrook Low Carbon Event last month.
The company says it "aims to replicate the success of the Hybrid Transit" – which is working well on the Department for Transport's Low Carbon Vehicle Procurement Programme.
Ashwoods managing director Mark Roberts says the technology changes the stop-start game – making it available not only as a factory-fit on a limited number of vans, but as a retrofit for most LCVs, including panel vans, such as the Ford Transit, and car-derived vans like the Vauxhall Combo.
A mechanic can fit the module in less than an hour and it does not affect the manufacturer's warranty, he adds.
As for the firm's Hybrid Transit, Roberts explains that it works on Ford's panel van and reduces fuel consumption by 15—25%.
It also takes less than four hours to fit. The van recovers kinetic energy usually wasted through braking or deceleration, with a lithium-ion battery storing the recovered energy, while a high efficiency electric motor delivers the power back to the wheels on demand.
