Mazda i-stop System Wins 2009 RJC Award

It seems like the Japanese editors were quite impressed by Mazda’s i-stop, as the system received the 2009 Automotive Researchers’ and Journalists’ Conference of Japan (RJC) Technology of the Year award, the carmaker announced in a release.

As you may know by now, the i-stop system is meant to decrease fuel consumption by 15 percent and therefore the carbon dioxide emissions as well, by shutting down the engine when the driver stops the vehicle.

Mazda’s i-stop is built-in direct injection engines and uses combustion energy to restart the engine in just 0.35 seconds, that is near twice less time than the other competing systems. I-stop also suppresses noise and vibration as the engine shuts down and restarts, which is very important for the occupants comfort.

The system is fitted on the new Mazda Axela (Mazda3), which was launched in Japan in June 2009. The Mazda Axela with i-stop system qualifies for Japan’s eco-car incentive program as well as tax reductions of 75 percent under the government’s eco-car tax reduction program.

“Mazda’s i-stop system is one of the green technologies that form the base of our future product strategy. It improves fuel economy without adversely affecting driving performance. In this way, we believe i-stop perfectly reflects Mazda’s commitment to provide our customers with driving pleasure as well as superb environmental and safety performance. We are honored to receive this award. In recognizing our environmental efforts, this prize holds a special significance for Mazda,” said Seita Kanai, Mazda’s senior managing executive officer in charge of R&D.