Mazda goes big for hybrids in next decade
Zoom Zoom may soon rhyme with Green Green as Mazda has added itself to the growing list of automakers investing heavily in hybrid automotive technology. While it's true that the Japanese automaker has offered a hybrid version of its Tribute SUV, that car is really little more than a rebadged Ford Escape Hybrid.
Mazda's next hybrids will be developed in-house and will be adapted to existing nameplates, not standalone models such as the Toyota Prius, Lexus HS 250h and Honda Insight. We can expect to see these new Mazda hybrids sometime within the next five years or so, though the automaker is trying to push that date up as much as possible.
Why is Mazda suddenly showing such an interest in hybrid technology? Speaking to Automotive News, Executive Vice President Philip Spender suggests that it's due in part to the fact that rival automakers are investing so heavily in hybrids. Plus, upcoming regulations in the United States and abroad will usher in new technologies to reduce carbon emissions and improve fuel efficiency – two goals that hybrids are particularly well-suited for.
[Source: Automotive News - sub. req'd]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Robert 9:59AM (6/12/2009)
A higher displacement rotary with a performance oriented electric motor would be awesome for the RX-8's lack of power in the lower revs. If the electric motor could kick in from idle to about 3500 - 4000 RPM, I'd be in heaven.
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3PeaceSweet 10:39AM (6/12/2009)
How about a big electric motor and a small rotary as the range extender?
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Chris M 6:47PM (6/12/2009)
The rotary engine is somewhat less fuel efficient than a standard piston engine, but it is also much smaller and lighter, prime attributes for a rarely used "range extender" engine. That might be yet another reason for Mazda's interest in hybrids.
Peter L 8:08PM (6/15/2009)
The new US regulations use the obsolete EPA fuel economy measurements. Said measurements caused hybrid vehicles like the Prius to score well... until customers complained and the EPA revised the method of calculation. Giving the scoring methodology imposed, Mazda probably had to reluctantly choose to make the vehicles that gamed the system with the best measurements, rather than offer the engine choices that they originally promoted and might have delivered the best real-world economy.
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