fortwo electric model in production late 2009

[Brabus]

Originally Posted by John_H

The Smarts here - even if they were manual - don't have an integrated starter/alternator that's designed to stop the motor at a precise point for near-instant startup. There is no "faking" an MHD. It's in the integration.

I just learned this evening that my Smarts turn off and start in Neutral. I don't believe my 2008 started in Neutral before the transmission upgrade, but maybe I just didn't try it. I forget.

Yeh, the micro-hybrid does start a lot faster and there's no way to make it work exactly like a micro-hybrid. Although I suppose now that I know it's possible to start the car in Neutral then that makes it possible to turn the car off at long red lights during the daytime, because at night your lights would turn off twice (once when you turn the car off and another time when you started the car).

[John_H]

My 2008 can start in neutral just fine but the headlights cut out when turing the key of and again when turning over the engine.

Again, this is much more stressful than an MHD!

[Godfather]

Some time ago, I read about research that was going on relative to the engine computer sensing which cylinder's piston stopped before top dead center, injecting fuel into that cylinder, firing the sparkplug and therefore starting the engine, without the benefit of a starter. Anyone know if that sort of technology is involved in this?

[John_H]

The combo starter/alternator is designed to stop the engine at a predesigned point for just that kind of purpose. Whether it's s specific angle just short of TDC expecting the pressurized air to hold or if it's at the start of the compression cycle I couldn't tell you.

I'd love to have one.