DENSO Corp. (Tokyo, Japan) announced that the company, in a joint effort with Toyota Motor Corp. (Japan), has developed the world's first belt-driven integrated starter generator (ISG) for hybrid vehicles. The new ISG is installed in the Toyota Estima hybrid car, currently in production.
The belt-driven ISG integrates the starter with the alternator, allowing the car's engine to turn off when it's not moving. The ISG then instantly restarts the car's engine when the car begins to move. The idle stop function decreases fuel consumption for energy savings. Because the DENSO ISG is a belt-driven feature, it allows for quieter operation than a gear-driven starter.
"We are proud to introduce the world's first belt-driven-type ISG because it is easy to install and saves the world's precious energy," said Kazuo Matsumoto, managing director, Electric Systems Group. "At DENSO, we will continue to make technological advancements in our current ISG for hybrid cars, as well as conventional starters and alternators, to protect the global environment."
