Development of the Smart Idling Stop System.

An idling-stop system saves fuel by automatically shutting down the engine when the vehicle is stationary (waiting at a traffic light, for example) and restarting it when the driver wishes to pull away. A conventional idle-stop system uses an electric motor to restart the engine. However, Mazda recently devised a new, more efficient means of performing this operation. Known as the Smart Idling Stop System, it injects fuel directly into the engine's cylinders while the vehicle is stationary and ignites the fuel to create downward piston force that serves to start the engine.