Panasonic looks to double start-stop efficiency

A new technology has been created by Panasonic that could potentially double the fuel economy improvement rate of existing start-stop systems.

The 12V energy recovery system allows the energy generated during braking to be stored in the batteries and used to power a vehicle’s electrical components: meaning that power is available even when the engine is not being used.


Currently, start-stop systems rely on a single lead-acid battery to deal with the electrical needs of the vehicle: including restarting the engine and running the air conditioner. According to Panasonic, this places the battery under too much load pressure. But Panasonic’s new system would be connected in parallel with the main lead‑acid battery to address this problem and extend the service life of the main battery.