The start-stop function, which can cut fuel use by almost 20 percent in city driving, will be installed in the two-seat Smart's 61-horsepower and 71-horsepower gasoline-powered cars, the brand's best-selling versions, starting in October, Stuttgart, Germany-based Daimler said today in a statement.
The technology, which Daimler calls micro hybrid drive, activates when the driver hits the brakes and the two-seat car's speed drops below 8 kilometers (5 miles) per hour, the Stuttgart, Germany-based maker of Mercedes-Benz said. The engine automatically turns back on with the help of a battery when the driver steps off the brake.
The drive system, also available in Daimler's Mercedes-Benz A-Class and B-Class compact cars, was first available in the Smart's 71-horsepower version as an option about a year ago, said Pietro Zollino, a Daimler spokesman in Stuttgart.
Daimler plans full hybrid models of the Smart, A-Class and B-Class during the lifespan of the current models. The hybrids can run on standard gasoline or diesel fuel and have an electric motor to operate at lower speeds.
The automaker also has a target of releasing its first electric and fuel-cell vehicles as early as 2010.