SEG Automotive India launches start/stop motor, to invest more in eco-friendly auto solutions

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SEG Automotive India, a German-origin auto technology solution provider focussing on reducing CO2 emissions, said it will keep investing in its Indian operations to promote its eco-friendly automotive products.

The company has two plants in Karnataka, one in Naganathapura (near Bangalore) & Hassan and another in Chennai.

SEG Automotive, which emerged from the Bosch Starter Motors & Generators division in 2018, disclosed its future plans in India while introducing SC60  Start/Stop starter motor for the modern gasoline and diesel engines.

The company also released a White Paper titled : Transformation of the power train, a balanced view of technologies” in a press conference at New Delhi recently.

The press conference that was jointly addressed by Anil Kumar M R, Managing director, SEG Automotive India, Juergen Schneider, Vice President Technology and Products and Christoph Hoelzl , Press Officer and Data Expert of SEG Automotive GmbH, has also showcased the company’s products like 48V Boost Recuperation Machine, SC60 Starter Motor and Baseline Generator.

Anil Kumar M R, Managing Director, SEG Automotive India, said, “Start/Stop is an important technology to make cars more environmentally friendly, offering immediate fuel efficiency increases of up to 8%.”

Kumar said the company introduced Start/Stop technology first in India 2008. However, it was mostly fitted in larger cars. The new SC60 Start/Stop starter motor has been developed focusing the Indian market for smaller combustion engines: it is amongst the smallest of its kind in the world and able to fit in compact cars, yet it provides up to 1.2kW starting power.

Recently, it was premiered in India  by both Indian and international OEMs, with the development and application engineering happening in close cooperation between central R&D in Germany and the local team in Bangalore. The SC60 is an efficient answer to reduce pollution by decreasing fuel consumption and help OEMs reach the new, more stringent CAFC goals defined by the Indian government.

In a press statement, Peter Sokol, COO of SEG Automotive noted, “We are pioneers of Start/Stop, having introduced the technology in 2007, and have since seen it bring efficient CO2-reductions to a large share of the European, US and Chinese market. With the new extracompact SC60 we are confident that the technology will now also conquer developing markets like India and China, since it perfectly serves the smaller cars which are prevalent there.”

Endorsing these views, Juergen Schneider, Vice President Technology and Products of SEG Automotive GmbH, has explained on the functioning of Start/Stop Motor. The engine control unit (ECU) automatically switches off the engine if the vehicle comes to a stop and the driver puts the gear into neutral, for example at a traffic light. For cars with automatic transmission just the pressed brake pedal and vehicle standstill is required. As soon as the driver presses the clutch again or in case of automatic transmission releases the brake, the engine is re-started automatically.

Start/Stop works conveniently in the background, and evaluates a wide array of sensor information before being activated. For instance, a battery sensor determines the battery’s level of charge; only if a quick restart is guaranteed, the engine will be switched off when the vehicle is stopped. Another example is the vehicle’s air conditioning. If the cabin temperature is too cold or too hot, the engine will continue to run to more quickly achieve the occupants’ desired temperature. Finally, there is a DC/DC converter for stabilizing the voltage of the electrical system during starts to ensure that the radio, navigation system, or hands-free telephone operate without any interference or interruption.

Advanced Start/Stop Engineers are continually working to extend engine shutdown times in order to further reduce consumption, and thus CO2 emissions. Advanced Start/Stop therefore also turns off the engine when the vehicle is coasting to a stop and is already at low vehicle speed. Depending on the style of driving and the traffic conditions, the advanced Start/Stop system from SEG Automotive can save up to 10 percent of total fuel consumption.

Other products by SEG Automotive that contribute to reduction of CO2 emissions In parallel, SEG Automotive is pursuing a range of additional projects to further decrease CO2 emissions of passenger cars and commercial vehicles.

With the Boost Recuperation Machine (BRM), which facilitates 48-volt mild hybridization, SEG Automotive already offers a technology for hybridizing gasoline and diesel engines in a cost-effective manner. The BRM enables regenerative braking, storing energy that is later converted into additional driving power, delivering extra torque during acceleration and allows “coasting” at high speeds with the engine turned off. Through the use of BRM fuel consumption and CO2 emissions can be further reduced by about 15 percent. SEG Automotive also offers a broad range of high efficiency generators for any power requirements, which keep the vehicle’s electrical system stable and reduce CO2 emissions and fuel consumption.

As of now the company is manufacturing Starter Motor and Baseline Generator in its Indian plants and the BRM is likely to enter its production portfolio soon. BRM can be manufactured in the same factory where the Generators are produced with small adjustments in the assembly line, Schneider said.

Christoph Hoelzl , Press Officer and Data Expert of SEG Automotive GmbH has released the “White Paper” and said globally it was published first time in India.

The White Paper discussed the vehicle pollution that has been impacting worldwide geographies including India while offering solutions on how the problem can be addressed.

The detailed report on SEG Automotive can be read in October edition of Automotive Lead Magazine

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