Ford's £200 fuel bill saver

24th February 2007

	The experts hope the software can be simply uploaded on to the car's engine management computer chip to switch the alternator on and off

The claim is being made from engine experts working with Ford.

They've devised a new system which detects when charging the alternator is a waste of the engine's energy. It stops the process, so that all of the unit's energy is devoted to the wheels. And it will only be switched on again when the motor is back running at its most efficient.

The experts hope the software can be simply uploaded on to the car's engine management computer chip to switch the alternator on and off.

The innovative new technology has been announced by Dutch scientist John Kessels from Eindhoven University, who has been researching better engine control on behalf of the US car giant. The system is already used to boost fuel economy for hybrid vehicles, but hasn't yet been fitted to any standard motors.

Before the consumption booster can be incorporated into the blue oval's forthcoming models, such as the new Mondeo, engineers will have to check that the car's battery is not affected by the on-off charging.

But they say when those experiments are completed, it could find its way on to not only Fords, but any new model, because no single manufacturer owns the technology.

"By adding a piece of software and a simple cable, cars can save 2.6 per cent of their fuel consumption," said Kessel. And that adds up to a figure of around £1 per fill-up for an average car.