The 2013 Ford Fusion will feature the auto start/stop technology to boost its fuel economy numbers. The vehicle which is set to release this year will be the first non-hybrid mid-sized sedan available with the technology. Purely meant for fuel-saving, the new technology is popular in Europe and is just now beginning to appear on gasoline-powered U.S. models. Ford is planning to offer a 1.6-liter EcoBoost engine to the new Ford Fusion, but didn’t revealed how much the EcoBoost engine option will be for the vehicle. The start-stop option in the United States will be available for $295. The company hopes at least some customers will spend the extra $295 for the newly added function. The novel technology automatically switches off the engine when the vehicle comes to a stop. At the time when the driver releases the brake pedal, it restarts.

“The new technology will save about $1,100 more than other midsize sedan owners during five years of driving,” said Samantha Hoyt, Ford Fusion marketing manager, in a statement. Ford estimates that implementation of the start-stop feature will improve city fuel-economy numbers by up to 10 percent, and overall economy by 3.5 percent compared with a Ford Fusion without the start-stop system.

Earlier, in January, Ford had said it plans to offer EcoBoost engines in 11 vehicles in 2012, up from seven in 2011 and it made around 127,883 vehicles with EcoBoost engines in North America the previous year. “Our biggest challenge will be getting costumers used to it. The idea of the engine stopping is a little uncomfortable to people,” Ford spokesman Mark Schirmer says. The 2013 Ford Fusion is expected to go on sale this fall, and Ford expects to produce as many as 1.5 million EcoBoost engines globally by 2013 for use in a variety of vehicles.

via Autonews