Ioxus uSTART drop in battery replacement guarantees starts for trucks

Ioxus offers the uSTART ultracapacitor-based engine-starting system as a drop-in replacement product that needs no special wiring. The product’s capabilities include increasing the vehicle bus voltage by greater than 10% during crank, reducing cranking time by more than 20%, reducing peak current to the starter by more than 15%, reducing the cy-cling seen by the battery by more than 40%, increasing starter life by more than 30%, and providing a built-in jump-start system that allows users to charge the capacitor from adjacent dead batteries.

The uSTART ultracapacitor-based engine-starting system is a two-terminal product that eliminates the rewiring re-quired by competitive engine-start modules. One of the existing lead-acid or AGM Group 31 batteries can be replaced by the uSTART via a drop-in and reconnection of the terminals. It also reduces weight compared to an AGM battery by up to 50 lbs. 

The engine starting system provides the vehicle with a start, no matter the condition of the existing batteries or external temperature. If the batteries run too low due to accessory loads or aging lead-acid batteries, the operator can press a button to enable a jump-start mode, thus allowing the capacitor-based system to collect energy from the batteries, and the uSTART system will provide the energy to get the vehicle's bus voltage up to 12.5 V, then provide the power to crank the engine and start. This eliminates jump-starts on the road and in remote locations, saving thousands of dollars over the life of the vehicle.

By helping to boost the battery's voltage during crank, the system prevents low-voltage cranks, which reduces temperatures at the starter. The smart power electronics in the uSTART module provide voltage stabilization to the vehicle's electrical bus. The module continuously watches the bus to inject power when needed to maintain a smooth voltage.

To solve problems associated with a vehicle not being started for extended periods of time, the uSTART module will automatically detect a lack of activity and place itself into standby. This enables the capacitors to remain charged, even if the batteries go flat, to allow the vehicle to crank and start, preventing a need for a jump-start.

The unit can be placed into maintenance mode and allow for initial installation, as well as external vehicle jump-starting, without removing the capacitor-based system or unhooking any connections. The product gives truck and fleet operators assurance that their engines will start reliably, especially for operations with up to 200 starts and stops per day, including those that use the lift gate or other auxiliary battery-powered equipment while the truck is off.