Why Mazda Is Fighting For the Future of Internal Combustion
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Mazda has 2 (potentially) good things going for it in the next 10 years.
1. If they can make Skyactiv X have a smaller or equal footprint compared to EV's in the grand scheme of things (electric batteries rely of coal for electricity and indirect emissions are generated for actual battery creation)
2. Toyota has purchased Mazda stock and is rumored that Totyota is using skyactiv tech for its engines and Mazda Rotary could potentially be a viable option for electric vehicle range extenders. Imagine if just 5% of all EV's in the world uses a Mazda built Rotary...or even implement Mazda patented tech related to a rotary.
...All that said someone much smarter then me could also chime in.
1. If they can make Skyactiv X have a smaller or equal footprint compared to EV's in the grand scheme of things (electric batteries rely of coal for electricity and indirect emissions are generated for actual battery creation)
2. Toyota has purchased Mazda stock and is rumored that Totyota is using skyactiv tech for its engines and Mazda Rotary could potentially be a viable option for electric vehicle range extenders. Imagine if just 5% of all EV's in the world uses a Mazda built Rotary...or even implement Mazda patented tech related to a rotary.
...All that said someone much smarter then me could also chime in.
Your #2 is the one that piqued my curiosity a while back. Apparently they are thinking of using a small rotary engine attached to a generator the size of a shoebox to charge the batteries. The engine would not be powering the drive train. I’m guessing a small fuel tank for the engine is all that would be needed. The rotary would be very smooth so the start/stop transition is supposed to be almost non existent to the driver and passengers. I forgot where I read this.
Even though we are being dragged into EVs by Tesla and other car makers it is still unprofitable. Early adopters are saturated and EU countries that could electrify are almost done. Combustion might live for a decade. Mazda has to hybridize but not necessarily churn out EVs. Ultimately if gas is cheap the US will hummerfy its transport and be a major consumer. Gas above $4 in texas? That can speed up adoption.
If every car were turned EV today there are not enough power plants and distribution infrastructure to handle it. Solving that will take many years and a lot of capital. There are also fundamental material technology issues to be solved - it still takes much too long to recharge an EV. This is a problem with the physics of current batteries. First solve it in a lab, then scale it up to production, then build factories for mass production.
It's not going to be 10 years...
we still have 20 years at LEAST or so on combustion engines. you'll start seeing more hybrid cars as gas stations start to get phased out in place of charging stations with quickcharge capabilities. I plan on keeping my cx5 for 7 years or so but my next car is definitely going to be 100% electric
It’s my understanding that Mazda shared its SkyActiv technology with Toyota. The upcoming Corollas to be built in the Mazda/Toyota plant will have SA engines.
I believe so. It’s still a Toyota engine but it’s using the Mazda high compression tech. Sort of like how Ford makes their own hybrid but it’s Toyota’s design under license or however that works.
Yeah Toyota, the largest automaker in the world and one with a reputation of reliability.....is utilizing skyactiv tech in their new engines. Which in turn meant their large R&D double checked Mazda's skyactiv tech and it checked out
Also too is Mazda is applying for all sorts of patents related to rotary usage on EVs. Not too shabby for a small company. The Toyota alliance will help Mazda in the future.
Also too is Mazda is applying for all sorts of patents related to rotary usage on EVs. Not too shabby for a small company. The Toyota alliance will help Mazda in the future.EVs may be riding the hype wave, but despite the incentives to buy one and the artificially low prices, they still have scant market share. And as Kaps said, most of them are unprofitable. So if you're a small manufacturer like Mazda who doesn't have fleet ZEV requirements to meet, what's the reason to jump in?
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So, basically use the shittiest and least efficient combustion type engine to recharge a vehicle made to be as efficient as possible? Only mazda...
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Yeah Toyota, the largest automaker in the world and one with a reputation of reliability.....is utilizing skyactiv tech in their new engines. Which in turn meant their large R&D double checked Mazda's skyactiv tech and it checked out
Maybe the principals checked out, but that's not the same as saying the actual designs did. They may or may not have. Until Toyota is using mazda valvetrain and engine components, it's not indicative of any reliability or durability expectations.
That said, I believe the Corolla is using a mazda engine. Just like the FRS uses a Subaru engine. I'd not read a ton into it yet.
Rotaries are very efficient when limited to a tight RPM range - like a generator would use. Also lightweight and space efficient.
IIRC they are roughly 1/3rd the space and weight of a comparably powered reciprocating piston engine.
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KERS is the way...not this crap.
