Mazda Tackles Fuel Economy With Hydrogen, Hybrid, Direct Fuel Injection, And Diesel

Mazda Motor will begin road-ttesting of its Premacy Hydrogen RE Hybrid prototype crossover vehicle in Japan, with the goal of leasing a production version of the vehicle next Spring. The company announced last week that it had received the permission of the Japanese Ministry of Land Infrastructure and Transport to operate the vehicle on public roadways.

According to Mazda, the Premacy offers a new hybrid power train with longer range than the company's hydrogen-only drive and a dual fuel option that enables the car to run on either hydrogen or gasoline. The Premacy is a five-passenger sedan with a Li-ion battery that can get 124 miles to a tank when operating on hydrogen. The company plans to demonstrate the Premacy Hydrogen RE and other hydrogen prototypes at the G8 Summit in Hokkaido in July.

Mazda has also announced plans to improve the fuel economy of its conventional vehicles by 30 percent by 2015. The company expects to achieve this efficiency by reducing vehicle weight through the use of innovative lightweight materials and a new paint process. New Mazda vehicles will also use the company's proprietary Smart Idle Stop System, which will debut on one European model in 2009. The direct-injection system forces fuel into the cylinder after the engine shuts down and then ignites it to force the piston down. The system will improve fuel economy by 7%-8%. The company will introduce the technology in Europe and Asia before expanding it to the worldwide market. The company expects all European models to use direct-injection engines by 2011.

Also in 2009, Mazda will introduce its first E85-compatible engines in North America and Northern Europe. In 2011, the company will introduce its first diesel engine, which will be available in the worldwide market.

Source and Photo: Mazda Motor