Introduction of Micro Hybrid Technology in India

Micro Hybrid Technology is one of the latest technologies that has recently introduced in the
Indian car industry by Mahindra & Mahindra in association with a leading auto
component manufacturer, Bosch.
The unique, smart, pocket friendly, and fuel efficient FuelSmart system with micro hybrid
technology is the first such technology in the country. The system is directly tested on direct
diesel injection engines loaded in the Scorpio M2DI and Bolero SLX BS3.

Overview
 

The pioneering micro hybrid technology is relevant to India. It was actually designed keeping in
mind the heavy traffic conditions in Indian cities. Though it has started its way from Scorpio and
Bolero, it is affordable and can be fitted to the entire range of car models available in the country,
thereby making a significant difference to fuel consumption.
The new technology detects the car movement and enables the engine to switch off
automatically when it is idle, in neutral or at a complete stop. This system plays a vital role when
driving on congested city roads. When the car is stopped at a traffic signal or trapped in a traffic
jam, the engine turns off because during that time no power is required. Just before shutting
down the engine, an indicator will blink on the instrumentation cluster, indicating the driver that
the engine is about to turn off. Thereafter, the car engine starts seamlessly when the car driver
presses the clutch.

Working
The entire system is based on a simple principle of not burning the fuel when the car is not in
use. The system detects the motion of the car and automatically stops when the car halts. It
changes the engine to neutral position and then release the clutch pedal which eventually stops
the engine after 10 seconds. Car instrumentation cluster has an indication for the system that
blinks till the engine switches on and then the light is displayed till the engine remains off. As
soon as the signal turns green, just by pressing the clutch pedal, engine restarts and the cluster
indication turns off.

Advantages
This new system has great advantages in the present day scenario of the car industry. It will also
prove to be one of the best technologies for future generations of cars entering the Indian car
market.
The key advantages of this innovative technology are fuel efficiency and fuel conservation, which
helps to reduce the running cost of a car and also helps to reduce emissions or car pollutants.
Lower amount of emissions or carbon dioxide into the atmosphere will mitigate the
adverse effects of global warming.
In addition, the system also monitors the health of the car battery, safety technologies, and even
the car enginetemperature. It will also help the government to achieve its sustainable energy
goals to protect environment and maintain the ecological balance.

Mahindra Scorpio’s Micro-Hybrid Technology

Mahindra launched the new mighty muscular Scorpio successfully. The Scorpio has always been
aggressive in its looks and  Scorpio’s dominance on Indian roads is a well known story. But this
time around, there’s a surprise in store for everyone, as this bully has a soft corner.
The revolutionary new Micro Hybrid technology makes Mahindra’s Scorpio really gentle. On the
environment that is. This technology allows it to intelligently switch off the engine when not
required. Thus going into standby mode after few seconds of engine idling, ready to spring back
to life the moment it’s needed again. This ensures you burn less fuel and reduce emissions.
Providing much needed relief to the environment, our lungs and our wallets too.

In a nutshell, the Micro Hybrid technology : -

• Switches off the engine when the Scorpio idles for a preset duration (*2 seconds in Scorpio
VLX, 5 seconds in Scorpio M2Di)
• Switches the engine back on, the instant your leg depresses the clutch pedal
• Burns less fuel, thus reducing pollution and helping to conserve the environment
Mahindra deserve credit for taking the lead in implementing Micro Hybrid technology, an
innovative and affordable step towards sustainability. We’re sure many will follow in the footsteps
of this first Micro Hybrid car in the country.

The Start Stop Micro Hybrid Technology in SUV

Mahindra Scorpio
Mahindra & Mahindra, the leader in utility vehicles in India, has taken the initiative to introduce
the path breakingFuelSmart System for the first time in India. The FuelSmart system is an
automatic engine start stop system. It has been introduced in its Scorpio M2DI and Bolero SLX
BS3 models.
The start stop system automatically shuts down and restarts the automobile’s engine. The engine
begins effortlessly once a driver depresses a clutch prior to moving ahead. This in turn reduces
the duration for which the engine is kept idling, thereby improving fuel economy.  This start stop
system comes into play when the automobile has to spend considerable amounts of time waiting
at traffic signals or in traffic jams. This feature started in hybridelectric vehicles but now has also
started appearing in vehicles without a hybrid powertrain like Scorpio and Bolero. Fuel economy
can improve by 5 to 10 percent in non-hybrid vehicles with the start stop system.
Off late the start stop system uses an enhanced-starter which is nothing more than a
conventional starter, developed by Bosch, which can withstand the increased number of engine
starts. The system is such that the alternator is not activated most of the time. Thus the electrical
components in the vehicle run on Battery. The alternator is activated to recharge the battery
while decelerating or braking (regenerative braking). Due to the use of regenerative braking,
some have started calling this type of system a micro hybrid.
Volkswagen Polo Formel E, Fiat Regata ES and BMW were some of the earliest vehicles to
use this technology. Smart Fortwo is a micro hybrid sold in Europe. Mahindra & Mahindra has
introduced Micro hybrid Technology with Scorpio and Bolero. Tata Motors is following suite with
Micro Hybrid Nano and Ace.
The Micro Hybrid Technology is based on the simple principle of not burning fuel when not
required. The FuelSmart system with a Micro-Hybrid technology of Scorpio is new technology
developed by Mahindra R&D team with help of the M/S Bosch.