Despite noting in the latest edition of Motor Transport that one UK operator was slightly less-then-ecstatic with the fuel-saving performance of their latest ECO-start Sprinters, clearly there are plenty of operators in Germany who reckon that Merc's auto engine shut-down system is the dog's wotnots especially higher up the weight range. How else to explain the fact that more than 2,600 Atego middleweight trucks with the automatic engine start/stop system were sold in the first half of 2009 alone? And here's one Biglorryblog spotted earlier. For the record that amounts to a sales increase of some 1,500 units or 130% compared to the total recorded in ALL of 2008. And why do they like ECO-Start? Well because with it you can reduce your average fuel consumption by up to 3%..nothing to be sniffed at. Now click through here for more...including a description of how it works.
According to daimler, "In Germany alone, 2,000 Mercedes-Benz Atego trucks with engine start/stop system were sold - an increase of 1,100 trucks or more than 110% compared to the sales for all of 2008. Of all the delivered Mercedes-Benz Atego trucks in which the fuel-saving system can be installed, the share of vehicles equipped with engine start/stop system was 46% overall and 61% in Germany." Do those clever Germans know something we don't?
For your information, the automatic engine start/stop system is available as an option in the Mercedes-Benz Atego with manual transmission. The system shuts off the engine whenever the truck is stationary for at least three seconds, the transmission is in neutral, and the clutch is not engaged. However, as soon as the driver puts his (or her) foot on the clutch, the engine automatically starts up again.
The result, says Merc, is a reduction in fuel consumption of up to 3% and the savings are even greater when the truck is used exclusively for city driving. There also is a corresponding decrease in CO2 emissions. For a Mercedes-Benz Atego used in short-distance service, the added cost of the system is thus recovered in just a few months. In addition to the economic and ecological benefits, the medium-duty truck offers greater comfort for drivers, who enjoy the silence when the engine is turned off, without having to restart and shut off the engine with the ignition key every time. Sounds a good idea fto Biglorryblog.
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