Mazda Begins Commercial Leasing of World's First Hybrid Rotary Hydrogen Vehicle
25/03/2009 13:05

The FINANCIAL -- Mazda Motor Corporation on March 25 commenced commercial leasing of the Mazda Premacy Hydrogen RE Hybrid, a hydrogen hybrid vehicle that offers substantially improved performance thanks to the addition of a hybrid system.

Mazda is the world’s first automobile manufacturer to begin commercial leasing of a hydrogen hybrid vehicle; the first units will be delivered to local government authorities and energy-related companies during 2009.

The Premacy Hydrogen RE Hybrid is Mazda’s second hydrogen rotary engine model to be commercialized; the first was Mazda’s unique RX-8 Hydrogen RE. The Premacy Hydrogen RE Hybrid’s finalized specifications were approved by Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) on March 5, 2009. The first vehicles received their registration numbers from the Hiroshima branch of the Chugoku District Transport Bureau on March 25.

The Premacy Hydrogen RE Hybrid features a series-type hybrid drivetrain, which combines Mazda’s hydrogen rotary engine with an electric motor. The engine output is converted to electricity, which then powers the motor that drives the wheels. This hybrid system boosts the hydrogen fuel range of the Premacy Hydrogen RE Hybrid to 200 kilometers, twice the range of the RX-8 Hydrogen RE, and increases the maximum output by approximately 40 percent, to 110 kilowatts. Mazda’s latest eco-car features many other forward-looking environmental technologies, including Mazda’s proprietary dual-fuel system, which enables the car to run on gasoline if hydrogen is unavailable, and interior parts made from Mazda’s plant-derived Biotechmaterials.

Based on the Sustainable Zoom-Zoom plan, Mazda is committed to pursuing harmony between driving pleasure and environmental and safety features, and the quest for an advanced Zoom-Zoom world. Mazda aims to offer vehicles that “look inviting to drive, are fun to drive, and make you want to drive them again.”

 

Or some of you may prefer to ride around in Neil Young's LinkVolt, a '59 Lincoln convertible that also has a rotary series hybrid, with a choice of fuels:

http://www.virclub.com/latest-news/n...isits-vir.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mz5Lk...layer_embedded

 

This is one nice article. Good read, and it is good news for Mazda!

 

Main specifications of the Mazda Premacy Hydrogen RE Hybrid

Base model: Mazda Premacy
Overall length: 4,565mm
Overall width: 1,745mm
Overall height: 1,620 mm
Engine: Mazda’s hydrogen rotary engine (with dual-fuel system)
Motor: Alternating current synchronous motor
Maximum output: 110 kW
Generator: Alternating current synchronous generator
Battery: Lithium-ion (Li-ion)
Seating capacity: Five
Fuel: Hydrogen and gasoline
Hydrogen tank: 35 MPa high-pressure tank

History of Mazda’s hydrogen vehicle development

1991: Developed first hydrogen rotary engine vehicle, HR-X
1992: Conducted test drive of golf cart equipped with fuel cell
1993: Developed second hydrogen rotary engine vehicle, HR-X2
Developed MX-5 test vehicle equipped with hydrogen rotary engine
1995: Conducted Japan’s first public road tests of a hydrogen rotary engine vehicle, Capella Cargo.
1997: Developed Demio FC-EV
2001: Developed Premacy FC-EV, conducted first public road test in Japan
2003: Announced RX-8 hydrogen rotary engine development
2004: Received MLIT approval for public road testing of RX-8 Hydrogen RE
2006: Started commercial leasing of RX-8 Hydrogen RE in Japan (eight models have been delivered to date)
2007: Signed agreement to provide RX-8 Hydrogen REs to Hynor, a Norwegian national project
2008: Commenced public road tests in Norway with RX-8 Hydrogen RE validation vehicle
2009: Commenced commercial leasing of Premacy Hydrogen RE Hybrid in Japan

 

There are 2 good things about that Premacy. The first being that it is a series hybrid rather than a parallel. The second thing is that the engine still runs on gasoline you don't absolutely have to run it on that hydrogen crap.

 

+1

but H2 is not crap IMHO

still believe (or hope?) into a rotary powered car hybrid (gasoline-feed) in 2 or 3 years.......

 

Burning H2 as a fuel makes no sense - it has such huge upstream costs that it saves no fuel if you look at the big picture.

The only viable source for commercial hydrogen is a steam/methane reformer. We have six of these at work (as far as I know, we are the biggest hydrogen producer and user in the world).
They use methane (CH4) to crack the hydrogen out of ordinary water (2 x H2O) and produce carbon dioxide (CO2) and lots'o'hydrogen (H8)
You can see that this process uses gas, produces CO2 and is very expensive and energy intensive. Now if you burn that hydrogen in your car, producing only water out the tailpipe ("See, I can drink it! No pollution! I've saved the world!!") you are only fooling yourself.........
The answer of using perfectly good electricity to make hydrogen makes even less sense than using perfectly fine maize to make gasohol.

People are all pumped about the Ballard electric fuel cell, invented here in Canada - amazing efficiency, quiet electric cars - but the fuel cell has an achilles heel; the working part is a platinum foam/sponge that is full of water. If it freezes even once, it is scrap. Canadians should probably not get too excited about this technology......

 

i thought Norway produced the most? http://www.hynor.no/english

 

I hope the article is correct and it is truly a series hybrid. This was rumored back in November. The older Premacy hydrogen hybrid from the 2007 Tokyo auto show was a parallel hybrid. The range is still 200 km, which is just not impressive at all. I hope there's more range on gasoline.

 

Don't look for a Mazda hybrid production model for another 5-10 years, also more on their commitment to lighter weight vehicles (without higher costs), etc:

http://www.reuters.com/article/reute...52P1KB20090326

 

Definitely 'series hybrid'. I've seen their illustrations.

Paul.

 

Great, now they need to finally add some electric hub motors, after all, Ferdinand Porsche did that over a century ago.

 

big mistake IMHO.

in some parts of mayor cities here in EU gasoline hy. are allowed to circulate, diesels NOT.

 

Again it's so obvious the EU are pushing manufacturers into a corner where they will have to have a hybrid of some sorts....

2015 will be the year you will see Mazda make it's move...if it still exists!

 

yep.

but Germany (the country) it's against these rules.......

Italy, France and UK are "more likely"

Toyota and Honda are pushing hard on Prius & Insight over here.