Mazda Begins Commercial Leasing of World’s First Hybrid Rotary Hydrogen Vehicle
– First Mazda Premacy Hydrogen RE Hybrid vehicles registered in Japan –
HIROSHIMA, Japan—Mazda Motor Corporation today 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.”
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
For more information on Mazda’s hydrogen rotary engine vehicles, please visit:
http://www.mazda.com/mazdaspirit/env/
