http://www.greenlivingonline.com/GettingAround/mazda-jumps-on-the-green-bandwagon/
(Mar 17, 2008)
Mazda is jumping on the green bandwagon with a new twist on its iconic rotary engine. This one is a hydrogen rotary engine (Hydrogen RE). 
Clean car
The unique engine burns hydrogen to generate power and creates no CO2 emissions. Government agencies in Japan have been leasing a version of the Mazda RX-8 with the Hydrogen RE since 2006. But now, Mazda has raised the bar with a new, more sophisticated vehicle called the Premacy Hydrogen RE Hybrid.
New kind of engine
It has a new hybrid power plant as well as a dual-fuel rotary engine that can be switched between hydrogen and gasoline with the touch of a button The hybrid system will convert hydrogen into electricity to power the electric motor.
Mazda officials boast the Premacy Hydrogen RE Hybrid will have 40 percent more power than the RX-8 Hydrogen RE. It’ll even be able to hit 0-100 km/hr in 11 seconds, compared to the RX-8’s 18 seconds. And the added environmental bonus is an extended hydrogen-fuel range of about 200 kilometres per tank -- twice as much as the RX-8 Hydrogen RE.
New green inventions
But that’s not all. The Mazda Premacy Hydrogen RE Hybrid is a showcase of environmental innovations. Inside, eco-friendly biofabrics grace the interior trim and seat covers. The 100 percent plant-sourced fabric, which is made of polyactate fibres, is not only fire- and weather-resistant, it’s also durable.
On the exterior, the paint-application process has been improved, too. As in the past, three coats of paint are applied, but Mazda now dries all three coats at once. Plus, paint consumption has been reduced, thanks to Mazda’s more efficient painting robots.
This saves significant amounts of energy, reduces paint consumption and lowers CO2 emissions by 6 percent and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) by 45 percent. And as part of Mazda’s bumper-to-bumper recycling program, it collects damaged bumpers from old cars, removes the paint and reuses the material in new bumpers. The Premacy Hydrogen RE Hybrid is a green machine inside and out.
Mazda plans to start leasing it in Japan this year. Read more about the new hybrids being offered here.
Petrina Gentile is an award-winning automotive journalist. Her work appears weekly in The Globe and Mail’s Auto section. She also produces a national TV show, Car/Business, on CTV/BNN and is a regular contributor to Canada AM.
Mazda jumps on the green bandwagon
Image: http://www.mazda.ca
Clean car
The unique engine burns hydrogen to generate power and creates no CO2 emissions. Government agencies in Japan have been leasing a version of the Mazda RX-8 with the Hydrogen RE since 2006. But now, Mazda has raised the bar with a new, more sophisticated vehicle called the Premacy Hydrogen RE Hybrid.
New kind of engine
It has a new hybrid power plant as well as a dual-fuel rotary engine that can be switched between hydrogen and gasoline with the touch of a button The hybrid system will convert hydrogen into electricity to power the electric motor.
Mazda officials boast the Premacy Hydrogen RE Hybrid will have 40 percent more power than the RX-8 Hydrogen RE. It’ll even be able to hit 0-100 km/hr in 11 seconds, compared to the RX-8’s 18 seconds. And the added environmental bonus is an extended hydrogen-fuel range of about 200 kilometres per tank -- twice as much as the RX-8 Hydrogen RE.
New green inventions
But that’s not all. The Mazda Premacy Hydrogen RE Hybrid is a showcase of environmental innovations. Inside, eco-friendly biofabrics grace the interior trim and seat covers. The 100 percent plant-sourced fabric, which is made of polyactate fibres, is not only fire- and weather-resistant, it’s also durable.
On the exterior, the paint-application process has been improved, too. As in the past, three coats of paint are applied, but Mazda now dries all three coats at once. Plus, paint consumption has been reduced, thanks to Mazda’s more efficient painting robots.
This saves significant amounts of energy, reduces paint consumption and lowers CO2 emissions by 6 percent and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) by 45 percent. And as part of Mazda’s bumper-to-bumper recycling program, it collects damaged bumpers from old cars, removes the paint and reuses the material in new bumpers. The Premacy Hydrogen RE Hybrid is a green machine inside and out.
Mazda plans to start leasing it in Japan this year. Read more about the new hybrids being offered here.
Petrina Gentile is an award-winning automotive journalist. Her work appears weekly in The Globe and Mail’s Auto section. She also produces a national TV show, Car/Business, on CTV/BNN and is a regular contributor to Canada AM.
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