Automatic stop-start technology is equipped in roughly 70 percent of all General Motors vehicles that were sold in the United States in 2019.
In its 2019 Sustainability Report, GM claimed that over 70 percent of its sales volume in the United States contained stop-start technology. Automatic start-stop enables the vehicle to automatically switch off its engine when the vehicle comes to a stop (ie. at a stop light or stop sign) and switch it back on when the driver takes their foot off of the brake pedal, improving fuel economy and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
“These engines provide a fuel economy benefit of between approximately 3 to 5 percent, significantly decreasing CO2 emissions for consumers who face extended idle times,” the automaker said in the sustainability report. “In the U.S., to date, stop-start engine technology has saved GM customers 293 million gallons of fuel and 2.61 million metric tons of CO2 emissions over the lifetime operation of their vehicles.”
Automatic stop-start technology is also found in more than 75 percent of new GM vehicles sold across its four largest markets, which include the U.S., Canada, Brazil and China. The automaker hopes to offer automatic stop-start in up to 81% percent of its new sales volume across its four largest markets before the end of 2021.
While GM is in the midst of transitioning to an all-electric future, it believes that improving the efficiency of its internal combustion engine vehicles in the meantime is still extremely important.
“As we move closer to our vision of an all-electric portfolio, we also are committed in the nearer term to improving the efficiency of vehicles that rely on the internal combustion engine,” the automaker said. “Continual improvements in vehicle engine and transmission efficiency, as well as vehicle weight, are helping us to eliminate excess material use in manufacturing, while reducing fuel use and costs for customers.”
Some vehicles that offer standard automatic stop-start technology come with a defeat switch from the factory. The automatic stop-start toggle button has the letter ‘A’ on it surrounded by a directional arrow. In most cases, the user will have to press this button to turn the system back off every time they get back in the car.
Automatic stop-start won’t work in all scenarios, either. For example, if the vehicle’s air conditioning or heat settings require the engine to be turned on to heat or cool the cabin, the system will not activate. It may also not activate if the engine/transmission is too cold or the outside ambient temperature is very low.
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Comments
Long as it has a kill switch what ever. But if it can not be turned off no sale to me.
I have driven these and they work well but I have no interest in them.
I flat out don’t trust it.
So you would rather pollute the air idling?
I’d rather be safe and not be hit in the ass end because of this stupid technology. I don’t set idling for hrs where I drive. Maybe you do! Besides it will cause major wear on the vehicles mechanical parts.
It is depends on how many variables are accounted by the system. Stop/start on an engine that is too cold to operate closed loop is likely more polluting than just letting the engine run. Where I live, in the winter, it is important to maintain heat to keep the windows from fogging or icing. Heater cores aren’t very large, so they get cold in like 20 seconds if fluid is not circulating. An electric driven water pump instead of running off the crankshaft belt would help fix that, but then you’re cooling off an engine that would be better off kept warm for efficiency.
My Honda Insight keeps the engine running for a while to try to prevent unnecessary gratuitous stop/start cycles, but it is a compromise. A lot of times it gets caught stopping the engine only to have to restart it two seconds later. The Insight engine is designed with intermittent operation anticipated. Most of GM’s engines were not originally designed for that type of operation. I’ve driven lots of different hybrids and start/stop cars and don’t like the lag. Even Toyota’s 3L six cylinder with dual electric motors and planetary has a noticeable spin-up. The tiny 997 cc Insight engine is by far the quickest I’ve experienced because the motor/generator permanent magnet rotor is part of the flywheel. My Insight has a 5-speed manual transmission and the stop/start barely changes from the way a manual transmission would be driven. The start/stop on the Insight can be shut off and that setting is retained between key off/on cycles.
It provides more wear and tear on.your vehicle. Btw, you burn more fuel during starting, so if anything it pollutes more. It does nothing g
I find it to be very annoying. Wouldn’t have bought my ATS if couldn’t turn it off. I’ve trained my right index finger to move from the start button to the deactivate button which is located on the console behind the shifter. Regarding the fuel economy improvement numbers-not sure that’s believable. Either way it wouldn’t apply to how/where I drive. This is my road trip car.
Had it in my 2018 Buick Regal GS and hated the fact that I couldn’t turn it off
Machines that disrespect the intent or needs of the operator are infuriating. I get that GM is trying to hit economy and cleanliness numbers that are mandated and that is generally a good thing. On the other hand there are other ways to cut consumption and emissions that might match the start/stop gains, but customers might pay more and it would take more up front engineering.
If this feature will delay forcing me to purchase an all electric vehicle, I’ll take it!
You will be still burning gasoline and be enslaved to monthly engine maintenance unless you switch to electrics. Or get a Ford hybrid and do no maintenance for years.
Thank goodness the Buick Encore GX has a switch to turn it off. And the Buick Envision had the defeat switch a few years ago so I imagine it still has it, too.
Glad I’m only in the market for ICE performance vehicles so you can keep it.
You are obsolete as the new electric vehicles from GM and Ford can beat and outrace their gas versions without a drop of gasoline and make much less noise, too. The new Ford Mustang Mach-E GT model does 0 to 60 in 3.3 seconds. Only a Tesla S Performance model is faster and cost almost twice as much!
He is not obsolete presently. Once his kind passes away performance vehicles will largely go away. The present generation of males below mine the Y generation has no interest in sports cars nor vehicle ownership. You are missing the point of why people like performance cars. I will not argue with you as your points are straight from the “green” narrative brochure. Porsche will also be successful with its plan for synthetic fuels as will other sports car makers. So ICE will live on.
EVs can’t outrace an ICE vehicle. Let us go to a race track and see who wins and endurance race. Oh and drag races are not my standard when it comes to fun. I have been on tracks like the famous “ring.” So 0-60 is not all that. It just looks pretty on the brochures and for trashing talking among the boys.
I hope Ford is giving you compensation for your efforts. Go drive the new GT500 and the CUV GT. Then come back to us.
Lastly many here would agree with me that we don’t consider an CUV or SUV a performance vehicle.
I rented a 2019 Chevy Malibu with it and it worked perfectly well. GM should replaced the belt driven A/C compressor with an electric one (GM made A/C units under Frigidaire in the past) so the compressor can stay on when the engine is off. Ford did this with its hybrids. Under the Fusion Hybrid hood there are no belts or pulleys because all of the classic engine accessories are electric driven, and there is no alternator nor starter. The electric HF35 transaxle does the starting and generating functions.
So happy with our 86 carburated beast. Other than a 6 speed stick it has the sophistication of an anvil. We may not leave 60ft of rubber from red lights but the 170 or so HP still allows us a 14-18 mpg. Imaging if it had same power but with a modern fuel injection. If fuel economy is paramount then the power has to be reduced, but then all these in need of compensating would not buy them because it’s too slow.
Get an aftermarket fuel injection kit and slap on there. It’ll optimize your fuel across the rpm range. You’ll gain power and mpg. You don’t always have to sacrifice one for the other.
What are you driving that has that little power but still gets that poor of fuel economy, especially with a 6-speed? That last vehicle I had with that little power was a Caprice Classic, and it got 26mpg on the highway.
K2500
I have a new 2020 GMC Sierra Denali, and I almost didn’t buy it because of this feature. I actually told the dealer no, but new incentives got me interested again 3 weeks later. It’s fine to have it included, but allow me to shut it off permanently instead of every time I start the truck. This is a truck not some green leaf vehicle. Nothing worse than pulling in garage and the engine kills because I stopped.
I have the S/S in my 2019 Silverado Trail Boss, absolutely hate it. Vehicle jerks when you accelerate as tho transmission problems. Can’t tell me that there isn’t additional wear and tear on the starter having to use it more than 10 times the normal use. May have to change brands in 2022 if this is continues…yes, I can turn it off each and every time I get in, but why? For 88.00 you can buy can buy a bypass, but again, why???
I’ve been next to GM stop/start vehicles at red lights, and it seems like there is a noticeable lag while the starter cranks the engine. Granted it is relatively quick, but still… Too bad the driver apparently doesn’t have the ability to opt out when desired. There are times idling when it would be very beneficial to have engine power for HVAC.
On the other hand, I have a 1st generation Honda Insight that has a flywheel motor/generator and that arrangement fires the engine in milliseconds without needing to engage a Bendix mechanism and crank the engine. Interestingly, the Insight has a back-up 12 Volt starter it rarely uses. The car will crank the cold-soaked engine if the ambient temperature is below 10 Fahrenheit when the hybrid battery may be too cold, or if the hybrid battery fails completely, the Insight will still function as a regular ICE with no hybrid.
The extra wear and tear is real. Add that to regular use and repairs and that is one expensive vehicle to own. The hardest thing you can do to an engine is start it.
it is the most annoying thing they’ve ever come up with. I absolutely hate it and will be buying a defeat kit…dumb a** engineers!
Don’t blame the engineers. Blame your federal government for mandating this stuff.
You can buy a device that plugs into yr vehicle diagnostic outlet under the dash, or simply place in neutral.
That start stop does that require the use of a small battery located in the trunk ? If so what if that battery fails? With most people not paying attention these days I’d be afraid of getting rear ended while I’m trying to start my vehicle. Look if it’s such a concern about polluting the air from an idling car, what about NASCAR we don’t need it? They emit pollution, what about cruise ships ( tons of pollutants! 2 stroke engines? Motorcycles don’t start n stop in addition motorcycles have no emissions at all, just a exhaust pipe out of the heads. I see lots n lots of cycles in the Summer! Pleasure boating? Crack down harder on these Rollin Coal rednecks?
I purchased a 2019 chevy traverse and UNFORTUNATELY it has start stop. It has left me stranded at a stop light to where it would not start up. After the 3rd time in the shop and complaints to GM nothing has been done. They can’t find anything wrong. I now drive it in L9 so it will by pass the start stop. I’m afraid to drive my new car which only has 6,700 miles on it. Every time I can tell people my story I do. Because you won’t get the truth from GM.
My youngest daughter just bought a 2021 Chevrolet Equinox, it has the S/S feature and she does not like it at ALL, same here. very annoying. Have to find a way to disable it for good!!
My start/stop on my 2019 GMC Terrain magically stopped working all my itself. No clue why but the feature is no longer existent.. can’t say that I miss it.
I don’t get why everyone is complaining? I have no problem with S/S works great in my 2016 ATS4 no problems and takes off as soon as I hit the gas it saves on gas compared to my 09 Malibu that I had.
Install auto stop eliminator
Installed auto stop eliminator on my 2020 GMC Sierra 1500. This auto stop may save an oz of fuel but it’s more wear & tear on the vehicle’s start system. Plus it’s dangerous in my opinion. My truck came with a switch to turn it off , only you have to activate the switch everytime you start the vehicle. Auto stop eliminator remembers the switch being turned off. No more turning it off everytime I start my truck.
This “new” technology is nothing but a joke !! I had it in my Jeep cherokee bought a by pass wire on line hooked it up behind the info center , gone !! NO more . Also saves wear and tear on your bottom end of your engine , starting , stopping is very hard on the bearings.
I will not buy a vehicle with stop and start on it. I actually hate it. You can and will spend more on repairs and mpre often. The person that invented it was not to smart.
I have a 2018 Cadillac CT 6 With Stop start I turn it off every time I start the car
Worse thing they ever put on a car or truck . I have a 2018 Traverse with it . Love the vehicle except for this stop start . It doesn’t save any thing .
And makes me lose my temper ever time it shuts engine off .
Stop Start by far is the absolute worse idea for an automobile. I totally agree with the others that will not bye a vehicle that has it.
Start/stop, and a push button transmission selector make me want to look elsewhere.
I hope when I need a new truck these two features have been done away with.
BS auto start/stop was one of the reasons I bought a Colorado in 2019. The Colorado didn’t have it, nor have any of the other useless nanny stuff I didn’t want, and most importantly, the Colorado fit in my garage.
All vehicles now have direct fuel injection. This design is designed to ruin the calvert by letting oil residue build up on the valve stems like steel eventually ruining the engine. Combine this with start/stop technology and most transmissions designed to break and not shift smoothly, I’m not spending my money on any brand vehicle that is designed to break down when they cost $50-60,000. Waiting on a reliable electric full size SUV or pickup!!!
I have a 2019 and a 2020 Equinox……..both have the start stop feature. My wife and I absolutely, positively, hate it! We start the vehicles, put them in “LOW” AND thumb up the shifter to the highest gear that eliminates the Start Stop until you turn off the vehicle. We do a lot of around town driving so the Start Stop is constantly shutting the vehicle off…….a real pain!
I can’t wait to get rid of both vehicles…………and get one with a disable switch!
Sadly, we really like our vehicles but will look else wear when we trade again!
Sooner or later CHINESE MOTORS aka GM will get it together!
Auto start/stop. If I had known would not have bought the 2018 Equinox. Its redic. I dont spend that much time idling. Will be looking to trade in soon. Bought it 2 months ago.
My 2020 XT5 s/s is defeatable with every restart. Wouldn’t have bought it otherwise. My wife’s 2019 Volvo S60 has a defeat switch in the menu that kills it permanently
Don’t blame the engineers. Blame your federal government for mandating this stuff.
I hate it and would love to bypass it , I traded a 2018 for 2019 . It sure doesn’t help fuel saving cause the 2014 and 2018 were better on fuel .
My 2018 got better mileage than the 2019 and you can put this idea where the sun doesn’t shine
Well if you run the brake with your left foot and throttle with right foot . Stay awake as the car will surge forward on you and can run into car in front of you or shoot out into traffic also
GM should wake up and make of there vehicles with a permanent engine shut off switch .
Doesn’t save any thing . It’s dangerous .