2009 Mazda RX-8 Hydrogen RE
07-30-2009, 09:50 AM
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2009 Mazda RX-8 Hydrogen RE
Based on this article, it seems as though the Hydrogen powered RX-8 is a step closer to production, but still has a lot of tinkering left before it would become a viable purchase.
From http://en.autos.sympatico.msn.ca/Gre...entid=20875580
First drive: 2009 Mazda RX-8 Hydrogen RE
A stepping stone on the path to a hydrogen-powered future
By CJ Hubbard
July 30, 2009
Oslo, Norway - Half an hour. That’s all the time we’ve been given to test what could be the future of the automobile. But count our lucky stars - at least the traffic is light. Yesterday’s afternoon rush hour meant some of our colleagues struggled to get out of second gear.
2009 Mazda RX-8 Hydrogen RE - Click to see the complete gallery (Photo: Mazda)
These conditions aren't much fun in a sports car - even one running on hydrogen instead of regular gasoline.
After all, once the shouty graphics have been stripped away, this is still an RX-8, Mazda's fine four-door coupe. You might be surprised to learn just how close it is to the ordinary car. Even the 1.3-litre rotary engine is remarkably stock, requiring little more than additional injectors to harness its new fuel system, which burns both hydrogen and gasoline.
Sitting in the driver's seat it's a similar story; the clues are few. A second fuel gauge sits right of the tachometer, which redlines at only 6,500 rpm - the current 231 hp RX-8 on sale in Canada revs to 9,000 rpm - and an H2 button beside the steering wheel for switching between fuel sources. But the fact that it's a regular RX-8 with comfy sports seats and a triangle interior design scheme fades as soon as you twist the key ...
Gallery: 2009 Mazda RX-8 Hydrogen RE
A quick history lesson
2009 Mazda RX-8 Hydrogen RE - Click to see the complete gallery (Photo: Mazda)
... but before we get to that, here's some background information.
Mazda's RX-8 Hydrogen RE project has been on the go since 2006, when it began leasing the first cars to corporate customers in Japan. But the original hydrogen RX-8 prototype dates back to 2003, and Mazda has been experimenting with this alternative fuel since 1991.
The RX-8 we're trying is part of a brand new batch, complete with the latest facelifted RX-8 cosmetics that Mazda is providing to HyNor in Norway. This hydrogen-promoting scheme includes a 580-kilometre Hydrogen Highway serviced by hydrogen filling stations that make it possible to drive the entire distance under this alternative power.
And believe us, that means quite a few fill-ups.
The hydrogen compromise
2009 Mazda RX-8 Hydrogen RE - Click to see the complete gallery (Photo: Mazda)
See, hydrogen is not especially energy dense - kilo for kilo gasoline will take you further. And because it's such a lightweight, low density gas, hydrogen is also a chore to store.
As a result the RX-8 no longer has any cargo space. Its entire trunk is taken up by a 105-litre hydrogen tank, which is consumed entirely to take this car just 100 km. And that's with the gas pressurized to a massive 5,075 psi (350 bar).
When the hydrogen runs out, the RX-8 automatically switches over to gasoline mode. It can be done on the move, and at any time thanks to the H2 button, but you can only go from unleaded to hydrogen at a standstill.
What hydrogen lacks in density, it makes up in bang as it combusts with six times gasoline's force. As you can imagine, this makes it rather difficult to control. Safety becomes absolutely paramount, and so does managing the combustion process. Get it wrong and the results are spectacular - but utterly unhelpful when it comes to getting from A to B. In one piece, at least.
However, hydrogen remains the great hope for future energy supplies for two vital reasons. First, it is abundant - it makes up 75 per cent of all matter in the universe. Secondly, the only stuff exiting this Mazda's twin tailpipes is water. Even NOx emissions are miniscule.
Is it still a sports car?
2009 Mazda RX-8 Hydrogen RE - Click to see the complete gallery (Photo: Mazda)
Twist the key and the RX-8 starts like any other - albeit automatically selecting the hydrogen tank over gas. This introduces the first significant distinction to the driving experience, the sound. It's much harsher, more metallic - and if we're honest, a little bit like a chainsaw.
Gone is the mellifluous silkiness we've come to expect from the RX-8's Renesis rotary engine. And with it the urge to rev and rev, that old desire for the limiter - so strong Mazda fits an alarm warning you're about to hit it - has also vanished. Uh oh.
It appears that those trapped in the traffic didn't miss much. Running on regular gasoline the engine in this car produces 210 hp, and feels every bit the RX-8 of old. But tapping the hydrogen tank drops the output to just 109 hp, and you can really tell. It's like someone has strangled the fuel supply.
Mazda won't tell us the 0-100 km/h time, nor its top speed - not even the economy figures (though we can work out from the tank size and range that it isn't very good). We'd guess around 12 seconds for the sprint. Suddenly this sports car isn't so sporty.
On the road it’s safety first
2009 Mazda RX-8 Hydrogen RE - Click to see the complete gallery (Photo: Mazda)
Taking a few tight turns at speed shows Mazda has also tinkered with the chassis setup too. This isn't the sharp-handling coupe we remember; understeer is higher on the agenda - creating an impression of safe and secure road-holding but not exactly packing in the thrills.
No doubt the extra weight of that additional tank - if not its flyweight contents - has plenty to do with this. But presumably Mazda is also keen to avoid any unfortunate accidents. The regular RX-8 can get skittish at the limit, which is not an ideal bias when such an explosive gas is being carried on board.
Speaking of security, sensors throughout the car are in place to detect the slightest leak. The refueling process is also less dangerous than with gasoline thanks to locking mechanisms on the pumps.
Back to the future
2009 Mazda RX-8 Hydrogen RE - Click to see the complete gallery (Photo: Mazda)
So has Mazda solved our future transportation issues and finally found genuine purpose for the rotary engine?
Clearly, there is still work to be done: the performance, refinement and efficiency issues all ask serious questions. But the unique design of the rotary engine, where the triangular-shaped internal rotor creates separate intake, combustion and exhaust chambers - ideal for such a volatile fuel - makes it particularly suited to burning hydrogen.
Ultimately, hydrogen is better used in an electricity-generating fuel cell vehicle, such as Honda's FCX Clarity. But while these are more efficient, they are also much more expensive. Being dual-fuel and close to the regular production unit, this RX-8's engine costs little to make and it can take of advantage of the existing gasoline infrastructure while projects like HyNor encourage the hydrogen network to increase.
The effort Mazda is making certainly deserves reward. It's just a shame this RX-8 can't yet muster the hydrogen go to match its sports car show.
2009 Mazda RX-8 Hydrogen RE
Base price: $N/A
Type of vehicle: RWD coupe
Engine: 1.3L, twin-rotor Wankel, hydrogen and gasoline-capable
Power/torque (hydrogen): 109 hp/103 lb.-ft.
Power/torque (gasoline): 210 hp/163 lb.-ft.
Transmission: Five-speed manual
0-100 km/h (est.): 12 seconds
Fuel economy (city/hwy.): N/A L/100 km
Competition: BMW Hydrogen 7, Honda FCX Clarity
PREVIEW SUMMARY
PROS
- Sleek sports car looks proves hydrogen can be sexy
- Rotary engine offers low cost alternative to the fuel cell
- Dual-fuel system circumvents infrastructure limitations
CONS
- Performance, refinement and efficiency still need work
- So much for the luggage space
- A long way off going on sale
From http://en.autos.sympatico.msn.ca/Gre...entid=20875580
First drive: 2009 Mazda RX-8 Hydrogen RE
A stepping stone on the path to a hydrogen-powered future
By CJ Hubbard
July 30, 2009
Oslo, Norway - Half an hour. That’s all the time we’ve been given to test what could be the future of the automobile. But count our lucky stars - at least the traffic is light. Yesterday’s afternoon rush hour meant some of our colleagues struggled to get out of second gear.
2009 Mazda RX-8 Hydrogen RE - Click to see the complete gallery (Photo: Mazda)
These conditions aren't much fun in a sports car - even one running on hydrogen instead of regular gasoline.
After all, once the shouty graphics have been stripped away, this is still an RX-8, Mazda's fine four-door coupe. You might be surprised to learn just how close it is to the ordinary car. Even the 1.3-litre rotary engine is remarkably stock, requiring little more than additional injectors to harness its new fuel system, which burns both hydrogen and gasoline.
Sitting in the driver's seat it's a similar story; the clues are few. A second fuel gauge sits right of the tachometer, which redlines at only 6,500 rpm - the current 231 hp RX-8 on sale in Canada revs to 9,000 rpm - and an H2 button beside the steering wheel for switching between fuel sources. But the fact that it's a regular RX-8 with comfy sports seats and a triangle interior design scheme fades as soon as you twist the key ...
Gallery: 2009 Mazda RX-8 Hydrogen RE
A quick history lesson
2009 Mazda RX-8 Hydrogen RE - Click to see the complete gallery (Photo: Mazda)
... but before we get to that, here's some background information.
Mazda's RX-8 Hydrogen RE project has been on the go since 2006, when it began leasing the first cars to corporate customers in Japan. But the original hydrogen RX-8 prototype dates back to 2003, and Mazda has been experimenting with this alternative fuel since 1991.
The RX-8 we're trying is part of a brand new batch, complete with the latest facelifted RX-8 cosmetics that Mazda is providing to HyNor in Norway. This hydrogen-promoting scheme includes a 580-kilometre Hydrogen Highway serviced by hydrogen filling stations that make it possible to drive the entire distance under this alternative power.
And believe us, that means quite a few fill-ups.
The hydrogen compromise
2009 Mazda RX-8 Hydrogen RE - Click to see the complete gallery (Photo: Mazda)
See, hydrogen is not especially energy dense - kilo for kilo gasoline will take you further. And because it's such a lightweight, low density gas, hydrogen is also a chore to store.
As a result the RX-8 no longer has any cargo space. Its entire trunk is taken up by a 105-litre hydrogen tank, which is consumed entirely to take this car just 100 km. And that's with the gas pressurized to a massive 5,075 psi (350 bar).
When the hydrogen runs out, the RX-8 automatically switches over to gasoline mode. It can be done on the move, and at any time thanks to the H2 button, but you can only go from unleaded to hydrogen at a standstill.
What hydrogen lacks in density, it makes up in bang as it combusts with six times gasoline's force. As you can imagine, this makes it rather difficult to control. Safety becomes absolutely paramount, and so does managing the combustion process. Get it wrong and the results are spectacular - but utterly unhelpful when it comes to getting from A to B. In one piece, at least.
However, hydrogen remains the great hope for future energy supplies for two vital reasons. First, it is abundant - it makes up 75 per cent of all matter in the universe. Secondly, the only stuff exiting this Mazda's twin tailpipes is water. Even NOx emissions are miniscule.
Is it still a sports car?
2009 Mazda RX-8 Hydrogen RE - Click to see the complete gallery (Photo: Mazda)
Twist the key and the RX-8 starts like any other - albeit automatically selecting the hydrogen tank over gas. This introduces the first significant distinction to the driving experience, the sound. It's much harsher, more metallic - and if we're honest, a little bit like a chainsaw.
Gone is the mellifluous silkiness we've come to expect from the RX-8's Renesis rotary engine. And with it the urge to rev and rev, that old desire for the limiter - so strong Mazda fits an alarm warning you're about to hit it - has also vanished. Uh oh.
It appears that those trapped in the traffic didn't miss much. Running on regular gasoline the engine in this car produces 210 hp, and feels every bit the RX-8 of old. But tapping the hydrogen tank drops the output to just 109 hp, and you can really tell. It's like someone has strangled the fuel supply.
Mazda won't tell us the 0-100 km/h time, nor its top speed - not even the economy figures (though we can work out from the tank size and range that it isn't very good). We'd guess around 12 seconds for the sprint. Suddenly this sports car isn't so sporty.
On the road it’s safety first
2009 Mazda RX-8 Hydrogen RE - Click to see the complete gallery (Photo: Mazda)
Taking a few tight turns at speed shows Mazda has also tinkered with the chassis setup too. This isn't the sharp-handling coupe we remember; understeer is higher on the agenda - creating an impression of safe and secure road-holding but not exactly packing in the thrills.
No doubt the extra weight of that additional tank - if not its flyweight contents - has plenty to do with this. But presumably Mazda is also keen to avoid any unfortunate accidents. The regular RX-8 can get skittish at the limit, which is not an ideal bias when such an explosive gas is being carried on board.
Speaking of security, sensors throughout the car are in place to detect the slightest leak. The refueling process is also less dangerous than with gasoline thanks to locking mechanisms on the pumps.
Back to the future
2009 Mazda RX-8 Hydrogen RE - Click to see the complete gallery (Photo: Mazda)
So has Mazda solved our future transportation issues and finally found genuine purpose for the rotary engine?
Clearly, there is still work to be done: the performance, refinement and efficiency issues all ask serious questions. But the unique design of the rotary engine, where the triangular-shaped internal rotor creates separate intake, combustion and exhaust chambers - ideal for such a volatile fuel - makes it particularly suited to burning hydrogen.
Ultimately, hydrogen is better used in an electricity-generating fuel cell vehicle, such as Honda's FCX Clarity. But while these are more efficient, they are also much more expensive. Being dual-fuel and close to the regular production unit, this RX-8's engine costs little to make and it can take of advantage of the existing gasoline infrastructure while projects like HyNor encourage the hydrogen network to increase.
The effort Mazda is making certainly deserves reward. It's just a shame this RX-8 can't yet muster the hydrogen go to match its sports car show.
2009 Mazda RX-8 Hydrogen RE
Base price: $N/A
Type of vehicle: RWD coupe
Engine: 1.3L, twin-rotor Wankel, hydrogen and gasoline-capable
Power/torque (hydrogen): 109 hp/103 lb.-ft.
Power/torque (gasoline): 210 hp/163 lb.-ft.
Transmission: Five-speed manual
0-100 km/h (est.): 12 seconds
Fuel economy (city/hwy.): N/A L/100 km
Competition: BMW Hydrogen 7, Honda FCX Clarity
PREVIEW SUMMARY
PROS
- Sleek sports car looks proves hydrogen can be sexy
- Rotary engine offers low cost alternative to the fuel cell
- Dual-fuel system circumvents infrastructure limitations
CONS
- Performance, refinement and efficiency still need work
- So much for the luggage space
- A long way off going on sale
Last edited by lakesnurfer023; 07-30-2009 at 12:48 PM. Reason: Fixed
07-30-2009, 05:22 PM
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Well it is kind of a step in the right direction. Everything looks good except the handling and gone trunk. But very interesting! It's like a sport mode (Gasoline) and Cruising/City mode (hydrogen). I would love to just cruise to work (90% Highway) on Hydrogen, even though I'd have to fill up with Hydrogen every 2-3 days.
It increases our MPG, though I wonder what overall cost in fuel would be like compared to just a gasoline engine.
It increases our MPG, though I wonder what overall cost in fuel would be like compared to just a gasoline engine.
07-30-2009, 06:51 PM
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i heard on npr that the government just decided to revive funding for hydrogen fuel research. the plug got pulled recently, but apparently it's back for consideration. if so, and i can't get an fcx clarity, i want this
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