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Mazda to Debut Rotary-Powered Hybrid Range Extender
Mazda Motor Corp. confirms it will offer a plug-in hybrid in 2013 that uses a Wankel rotary engine-powered generator to extend its range.
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Mazda Motor Corp. confirms it will offer a plug-in hybrid in 2013 that uses a Wankel rotary engine-powered generator to extend its range.
CEO Takashi Yamanouchi tells Autocar that rotary technology has good dynamic performance but shows its efficiency disadvantages when used as the primary means of propelling a car "if you accelerate and brake a lot."
Yamanouchi notes that those problems can be overcome if a Wankel runs at a steady 2,000 rpm something it can do when used to drive an electrical generator whose output recharges a plug-in car's battery. Rotaries are inherently compact and thus an attractive power source for on-board rechargers.
Mazda built Wankel-powered cars from 1967 until it stopped making the RX-8 sports car in June. The company had been developing a next-generation Wankel as a primary power source for cars, but the 1.6-liter engine reportedly failed emission and fuel economy targets.
Yamanouchi tells Autocar that Mazda's interest in the Wankel 45 years ago motivated him to join the company. He says Mazda will continue to look for ways to again use rotaries to propel cars.
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