The Mazda Kiyora concept, above, and production Mazda2, below, feature new Mazda techonology. Mazda photos
NEW YORK, Nov. 21 -- The internal combustion engine (ICE) putt-putted almost all motorists out of the 19th Century and it zoom-zoomed nearly all of them into the 21st after 100 years of steady improvement.
So, with no signs the ICE is melting away now or in the foreseeable future, Mazda plans to concentrate its efforts on keeping costs and weight down and upgrading traditional power instead of forging ahead with hybrid and all-electric powerplants.
“Internal combustion will continue to rule in the foreseeable future so we believe improvements in fuel economy are the way to go,” explained Robert T. Taylor, Mazda’s North American senior vice president of product development and quality, during the International Motor Press Assn.’s monthly meeting.
He said the goal is to improve overall fuel mileage by 30 percent, which is enough to get Mazda beyond the government mandate of about 35 miles per gallon by 2015.
To achieve it, the next generation of gasoline engines must perform as efficiently as today’s diesel engines, an improvement of 12 to 15 percent, and the next generation of diesel engines must improve by 20 percent.
Taylor said engines will range from 1.5 to 2.5 liters in displacement and performance will actually be improved through the use of turbochargers and direct fuel injection.
He noted that a Mazda prototype gasoline engine has already achieved the efficiency goal and that the company is making progress on upgrading the diesel engine.
He also emphasized that diesel power may not be one of the options for U.S. motorists.
“I’m not saying we’re bringing diesel to America, but we’re very interested in exploring it . . .” Taylor said. He noted that the push by German manufacturers to re-introduce diesel power to the United States has not been met with great acceptance.
Still, engine improvement alone will not get Mazda to its goal of a 30 percent improvement in fuel mileage.
Transmission upgrades are needed, too, Taylor said. By eliminating clutch slipping and accelerating shifting speed, he estimated that engineers can improve fuel efficiency by 4 percent with six-speed automatic transmissions and 7 percent with five-speed automatic shifters.
Regarding weight loss, he said, Mazda expects to cut at least 220 pounds out of each vehicle, primarily through use of lighter materials in the body structure and chassis components. The lighter cars will begin appearing in the 2011 model year.
Finally, Taylor said, Mazda plans to install its “i-stop” technology, which automatically shuts the engine down when the vehicle is stopped in traffic and then turns it back on almost seamlessly when the driver moves the right foot from the brake to the accelerator.
An important component in the Japanese manufacturer’s plans is keeping costs down. Here, Taylor believes Mazda has at least one big advantage.
The company has developed catalytic converters for gasoline and diesel engines that will meet all emissions requirements, use 70- to 90-percent fewer precious metals, and cost a lot less than current ones. This will allow Mazda to produce emissions-legal diesel engines without expensive urea-treatment technology.
By choosing to stick with the internal combustion engine, Taylor said, Mazda believes it will be able to offer customers “the joy of driving and excellent environmental and safety performance.”
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