Mazda recently revealed it was working on a new range of clean diesels to reduce its overall emission by 30 percent by the year 2015, but the Japanese automaker has announced its future lineup will also include hybrid and electric vehicles.
Mazda originally stated that it did not plan to offer a hybrid or electric vehicle before 2016 (other than the Tribute Hybrid), but Mazda CEO Takashi Yamanouchi told Automotive News at the New York Auto Show that the automaker will have electrified vehicles in its lineup by 2015. Yamanouchi failed to mention in what year Mazda will launch its new range of fuel efficient vehicles.
Yamanouchi also revealed that Mazda will soon unveil a new range of more fuel efficient gas and diesel engines. “Our new gasoline engines will achieve the same fuel economy as current diesel engines, and our diesel engines will achieve similar fuel economy as existing hybrids,” he said. The new technology will bow at this year’s Tokyo Motor Show.
Mazda’s new engine technology will not be shared with Ford, but Yamanouchi says the new powerplants will be affordable for “90 percent of the car-buying public.” Yamanouchi added he would not be opposed to selling Mazda’s new engine technology to Ford.
04/13, 12:49 PM
posted by:
ahnuconun
Ford FTL!
04/13, 1:04 PM
posted by:
05Z88Path
Don’t cave into the hybrid/EV craze Mazda! Keep the focus on lightweight and fuel efficient gas/diesel cars…
04/13, 1:20 PM
posted by:
aexcorp
That’s fine, they should diversify as to not put all their eggs in the same basket. Diesel is great, but in the US it will always have a hard time penetrating due to higher than gasoline taxes on it. Having both diesel and hybrid means they’re covering all the markets.
At the same time, please come out with a diesel hybrid, which would hopefully deliver like 60 mpg combined, as the diesel will be efficient on the highway (more than hybrids are, which is why the Prius loses against the Jetta Bluediesel on highway tests) and have plenty of power and torque, while in the city the hybrid system will provide great mileage, that even diesels can’t touch.
Best of both worlds…
04/13, 1:22 PM
posted by:
Borat
Clear as mud: if new diesel engines achieve same economy, why invest in hybrids?
04/13, 1:57 PM
posted by:
johnnycanuck
Borat, by that reasoning if the gas engines supposedly offer the same mileage as the diesels why bother with either?
04/13, 2:11 PM
posted by:
JakeK66
Yamanouchi continued -
“I got this Snake Oil that cures every major disease as well…”
04/13, 3:45 PM
posted by:
Borat
Johnny, the idea was that new crop of gasoline engines will achieve current diesel’s level of frugality, new diesels will surpass old diesels. I imagine Mazda is going direct injection in gasoline and piezo injection in new diesel model. And those new technology not only improve economy they also promised higher output from the same displacement in both horsepower and torque.
04/13, 5:07 PM
posted by:
Payton Byrd
@05Z88Path
Light weight diesel is an oxymoron.
04/13, 5:08 PM
posted by:
Payton Byrd
@Borat
The comparisons are against current engines. When diesels match today’s hybrids then you can expect the hybrids at that time to exceed the diesels by a similar gap as today. After all, if a plain diesel gets X, then a diesel hybrid would be > X.
04/13, 7:24 PM
posted by:
aexcorp
@ Payton Byrd
Despite the fact the diesel blocks have to be sturdier, it is getting possible to use lighter weight materials to build them. However, this was not done for cost reasons, but an all-aluminum engine is used in race cars like the R10 even though it’s a diesel. Engine weight is pretty much the only reason why it’s hard to make a diesel that’s light, but don’t expect it to stay so for much longer.
Also, I have yet to see gas engines that match the diesel fuel economy WHILE maintaining the same level of performance, so until somebody comes up with that, diesels will have an advantage in ratio of power to consumption, which is the only important factor for people on this board, as we don’t drive like grandmas.
Lastly, I WANT A DIESEL HYBRID!!! That car will have tones of torque, yet will get great gas mileage in city which is the weak spot of diesels, yet it will crush a gas hybrid on the highway… Come on Mazda, DO IT !!
04/13, 11:16 PM
posted by:
maxcar
a diesel engine + powertrain + fuel tank prolly weighs quite a bit less than an equivalent hybrid engine + powertrain + fuel tank + battery pack.
carting all that extra battery weight around + constantly running the ac to keep the batteries cool is like 2 steps forward, and about 1.5 steps back. hybrids are clever, but severely handicapped by current battery technology. perhaps capacitor based hybrids will yield better results. until then…
give me a descent modern diesel and throw in some start stop technology (provided the diesel reaches optimal operating temperature) and you’ve got a winner. add the fact that you’ve got and endless supply of truly flexible renewable biofuel and you’ve sealed the deal.