Do stop-start systems wear out your car’s starter?

Chrysler Engine Stop-Start (ESS) technology  -  slated for 2015 Jeep CherokeeSome are almost unnoticeable, others make the car shudder each time they activate—but stop-start systems are here to stay. First rolled out in Europe and Asia, where crowded city driving requires cars to spend more time at a standstill, they switch off the engine when the car's not moving. When the driver starts to lift a foot off the brake...

2019 Infiniti QX50 crossover to debut variable-compression engine

Infiniti QX50 concept, 2017 Detroit auto showEfforts by automakers to increase fuel efficiency and reduce carbon emissions have intensified in recent years as emission rules have tightened and the effects of climate change are better analyzed. While electric cars and hybrids will grow in popularity, the internal-combustion engine remains the default way of power—and likely will for...

“Death of the internal combustion engine” is now a thing

ClunkersThe very first working four-cycle internal-combustion engine was invented by Niklaus Otto in 1876, and in due course it changed the world. A quarter of a century later, gasoline engines, steam-powered vehicles, and electric drive competed on an equal basis, but by 1915, it was clear the gasoline engine would triumph. The next 100 years brought...

Mazda’s SkyActiv-X: diesel fuel economy from gasoline engine

2020 Mazda 3 prototypeThe internal combustion engine, now more than 200 years old, will be with us for a long time to come yet. Powering more than 1 billion vehicles on the planet and almost 100 million new ones each year, it is the default way to move vehicles along the world's roads. With its carbon emissions now conclusively implicated in climate change, electric...

Don’t start-stop systems wear out your car’s starter?

Mercedes-Benz integrated starter generator (ISG)Some are almost unnoticeable, others make the car shudder each time they activate—but start-stop systems are here to stay. First rolled out in Europe and Asia, where crowded city driving requires cars to spend more time at a standstill, they switch off the engine when the car's not moving. When the driver starts to lift a foot off the brake...