Mazda takes hydrogen hybrid drivetrain to market
Customers are now taking delivery of Mazda's radical Premacy hybrid with a hydrogen-fuelled rotary range extenderMazda is taking orders in Japan for its first commercially available hydrogen hybrid vehicle, a version of its Premacy.
The Premacy Hydrogen RE Hybrid combines Mazda's hydrogen-powered rotary engine with an electric motor in a series-type hybrid drivetrain. The engine plays no direct part in putting power to the road. Drive power comes exclusively from the electric motor, for which the rotary provides charge.
The vehicle delivers substantial improvements in power and range over Mazda's first effort with hydrogen power. The RX-8 Hydrogen RE, first announced in 2003 and tested in Norway last year (more here), added hydrogen as an alternative fuel to a modified rotary engine that put power direct to the road.
With the hybrid system, power in the Premacy version is up 40 pc over that vehicle, to 110 kW, while range has been doubled to 200 km. And with tank-ready hydrogen still in scarce supply, the car features a fallback dual-fuel system, allowing it to revert to petrol when hydrogen is unavailable.
The Premacy Hydrogen RE Hybrid also showcases the company's work with plant-derived interior finish materials (more here).
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