Ford to Make Auto Stop-Start Standard on All EcoBoost F-150 Pickups for 2017
Before you go complaining to NHTSA that your new F-150 keeps stalling at intersections, check the dash for the little green "A" icon. Starting with the 2017 model year, all six-cylinder EcoBoost F-150 models will come equipped with auto stop-start.
Formerly, only the 2.7-liter turbocharged V-6 came with stop-start, which requires a more robust (and expensive) absorbent-glass-mat battery that can better handle the constant cycling and the heavier draw from vehicle accessories with the engine off. When the 2017 models arrive later this year, the 3.5-liter EcoBoost V-6 also will get stop-start. That includes the beastly 10-speed Raptor. The normally aspirated 3.5-liter V-6 will not offer the system. Ford said it was still certifying EPA fuel-economy estimates for 2017 but was confident the technology would improve city mileage on the test cycle.
While Ram has offered stop-start on 1500 V-6 pickups since the 2013 model year, the technology is still uncommon in the truck segment. Chevrolet and GMC have yet to include it on any of their light-duty V-6 pickups, and you won't find stop-start on Nissan or Toyota trucks, either. No V-8 pickups offer the system.
We usually dislike stop-start in non-hybrid vehicles-we found the F-150 2.7-liter EcoBoost's to be overly aggressive in operation-and despite their obvious NVH issues, these systems also tend to shut off engines in precarious traffic situations where immediate power is needed (such as waiting to turn left at a four-way intersection). Ford, at least, automatically disables the F-150's system when the driver selects four-wheel drive or is towing a load. We'll have to wait and see if the 2017 truck behaves any better.
From: Car and Driver
