Electric Drive Unit of Mazda MX-30 e-SKYACTIV R-EV
Director, Senior Managing Executive Officer, and Chief Technology Officer (CTO) Ichiro Hirose said, "In Mazda's history, the rotary engine is a special symbol of our 'challenger spirit'. We are deeply grateful to all those who have supported RE to date, and are pleased to announce the rebirth of the organisation that develops RE, the engine that has been loved by customers around the world. For the last six years, RE engineers have been part of the engine development organisation where they engaged in the development of state-of-the-art internal combustion engine functions as well as the ultimate improvement in efficiency. Those engineers have broadened their perspective beyond the boundaries of engine systems, and have trained themselves to master the 'Model-Based Development,' which is one of Mazda's engineering strengths. This time, 36 engineers will gather in one group to make a breakthrough in the research and development of RE. In the age of electrification and in a carbon-neutral society, we promise to keep delivering attractive cars that excite customers with our 'challenger spirit'."
For those of you not familiar with the rotary engine, unlike a regular piston type engine, a triangular rotor forms 3 chambers in which combustion occurs. The high-revving rotaries were first used in the 1967 Cosmo Sport, then many other models including the RX4 and RX7. Mazda claims it has worked to better the performance output, exhaust-gas purification, fuel economy, and durability of the engine itself, and never misses a chance to point out hat it has been the only carmaker to mass-produce rotary engines.
The company ceased production of Mazda RX-8 in 2012, and after an 11 yr hiatus, reintroduced its rotary engine in June 2023. Mazda MX-30 e-SKYACTIV R-EV is the 12th rotary model, and has been introduced in Japan and Europe.
Mazda is using phrases like 'Joy of Driving', and "Human Centric" to market the new use of the internal combustion engine.
Many companies have researched the possible uses of carbon neutral fuel sources, although most were aimed at powering pure electric vehicles. Hydrogen in a fuel cell is mooted as a part solution especially for back-to-base applications like couriers, and long-distance transport such as trucks, trains, trams, and buses. They would be using the fuel cell to produce electricity to drive electric motors.
Mazda is using a rotary engine to charge a small battery that drives electric motors. It seems like a lot of trouble to go to, especially when trying to eliminate fossil fuels completely.
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