To commemorate 25 years of PACE Awards for supplier innovation, Automotive News each week looks back at one of the many winners.
2014: BorgWarner Transmission Systems
Trade name: Eco-Launch stop-start accumulator solenoid valve
Innovation: By accumulating hydraulic pressure, Eco-Launch could replace the electric pumps that had been used in fuel-saving stop-start systems.
Why it resonated: The change eliminated the annoying hesitation before automatic transmissions engaged when an engine restarted after a stop.
To eliminate that hesitation, BorgWarner developed a low-noise, high-flow and — especially critical — low-leakage solenoid valve with a hydraulic accumulator to prime the transmission in as little as 0.33 seconds. It delivered quick hydraulic pressure for smooth launches when the engine restarted.
