- By 2015, Mazda will have renewed almost its entire powertrain
lineup.
- Through steadily developing safe, lightweight, new generation
platforms, aim to reduce the weight of new vehicles by 100 kilograms or more,
from 2011.
- Unique Smart Idle Stop System to be introduced in 2009 with fast,
quiet restart.
- Mazda to introduce a more advanced version of the unique Three Layer
Wet Paint System in 2009.
- Mazda aims to have carbon neutral bioplastics ready
for use in vehicles by 2013.
HIROSHIMA, Japan— Mazda Motor Corporation
has announced that it is setting its sights on reducing the fuel consumption of
Mazda vehicles sold globally by an average 30 percent by 2015. This determined
commitment will entail a holistic approach which includes using lightweight
technologies, the upgrade of almost all of Mazda’s gasoline engines, introducing
a Smart Idle Stop System, a new gasoline rotary engine and new diesel engines
worldwide.
By 2015, Mazda will have renewed almost its entire powertrain lineup and,
from 2011, through steadily developing safe, lightweight, new generation
platforms aims to reduce the weight of its new vehicles by 100 kilograms or
more.
Mazda is driven by its long-term vision to provide all its customers with
first-rate environmental and safety features as well as driving pleasure. This
means that Mazda owners are assured of driving cars that continue to provide the
fun-to-drive feeling that will keep them coming back for more, while still
having the peace of mind that their Mazda is environmentally-friendly and safe
to drive.
This focus on the environment is not a new concept for Mazda. In the seven
years from 2001 to 2008, the average fuel economy of Mazda vehicles sold in the
Japanese market improved by approximately 30 percent. In 1991, the company
embarked on a long-term project to develop vehicles powered by hydrogen
technology, thereby participating in the search for sustainable transportation
solutions, which still continues today.
Mazda saw its hydrogen powertrain efforts progress positively forward in June
2008 when the Mazda5 Hydrogen RE Hybrid received the green light from the
Japanese government to begin testing on public roads.
The Mazda5 Hydrogen RE Hybrid (known as the Premacy Hydrogen RE Hybrid in
Japan) offers 40 percent more power and an extended hydrogen driving range of
200 kilometres. It will be available for commercial lease in Japan during the
2008 fiscal year. And, Mazda is already progressing well with the development of
an all-new Hydrogen RE vehicle with dynamic performance equivalent to a
3.0-liter gasoline engine and a hydrogen range of 400 kilometres.
The next technological milestone for Mazda will be the introduction of the
mass production version of its proprietary Smart Idle Stop System into one of
its cars in 2009. Mazda’s is the only idle stop system in the world that
restarts the engine from idle by injecting fuel directly into the cylinder and
igniting it to force the piston down, enabling a fast and quiet restart as well
as an improvement in fuel economy by up to eight percent. Demonstrating the
extent of Mazda’s flexible R&D capability in developing alternative
environmentally-friendly technologies, the system will initially appear in Japan
and Europe.
Mazda’s future powertrain line-up has much to excite current and future Mazda
customers. In 2009, an E85 fuel-compatible flex-fuel engine will be introduced
into the Northern European and North American markets. From 2011 onwards, with
new gasoline engines will incorporate next generation Direct Injection Spark
Ignition and other systems to boost power by 15 to 20 percent and improve fuel
economy by approximately 20 percent.
Beginning in 2011, Mazda plans to introduce new diesel engines worldwide that
meet the strictest future exhaust gas regulations in each market. These engines
will feature next generation direct injection technology, turbocharging systems
and NOx reduction technology, which will enhance fuel economy by 20 percent and
produce cleaner exhaust gases, while still providing a true Zoom-Zoom
experience.
A fundamental part of Mazda’s heritage, the gasoline rotary engine, will be
substantially upgraded in the early 2010s. Currently referred to as the 16X, the
next rotary engine will offer substantially improved performance and economy
through use of Direct Injection Spark Ignition and high-speed combustion
technology, enfolded in new rotary dimensions.
Mazda’s environmental efforts are not only focused on its cars. The plants in
which they are built have also received a lot of attention to ensure that they
contribute to a sustainable future.
In FY2007, the volume of CO2 emissions from production activities in Japan
was reduced by 15.4 percent compared to FY1990 levels. Expressed as CO2
emissions volume per unit of revenue, the reduction was 24 percent.
In 2005, Mazda was the first auto manufacturer to introduce a Three Layer Wet
Paint System which reduces VOC emissions by 45 percent and CO2 emissions by 15
percent. Mazda now plans to introduce a more advanced version of this unique
Paint System in 2009 as it finalises the development of an innovative
water-based paint technology that reduces VOC emissions by a further 57 percent
without increasing CO2 emissions. Producing around 25 percent fewer CO2
emissions than common water-based paint, this new technology is intended to make
Mazda’s paint shops the cleanest in the world.
Mazda is also making itself known in the area of carbon neutral bioplastics.
Developed in collaboration with government, industry and academia, Mazda intends
to expand the applications of this new source of eco-friendly material. Already,
bioplastics are used in the new Mazda5 Hydrogen RE Hybrid and, in June 2008,
Mazda commenced the Mazda Bioplastic Project to develop a bioplastic made from
non-food-based cellulosic biomass. The project aims to have the bioplastic ready
for use in vehicles by 2013.
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