Click above for a high-res gallery of the Mazda Taiki concept.
The rotary engine is world-renowned for many things, but fuel-efficiency isn't one of them. Mazda wants to make Wankel's masterpiece the poster child for its hydrogen-powered endeavors, so it's considering offering a dual-fuel version of the engine in its next RX-badged offering.
According to AutoExpress, Mazda's RX-8 Hydrogen RE vehicle will evolve into a new model, dubbed the RX-9, and is rumored to be motivated by a hydrogen-gasoline powertrain that will offer 20 percent better fuel economy and emissions over a traditional gasoline-powered Rotary. The rear-wheel-drive coupe will take styling cues from the Taiki concept and a dash-mounted switch allows drivers to toggle between gasoline and hydrogen fuel systems. For city driving, the hydrogen setting will be employed, which will reduce fuel consumption (at the expense of a 20 percent drop in power), while the gasoline system can be employed when drivers desire more performance.
Mazda's goal is to make the rotary engine's performance, fuel economy and emissions up the level of gasoline-electric hybrids, and if AE's sources are to be believed, the hydrogen-powered RX-9 should arrive in 2012.
[Source: AutoExpress]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
why not the LS2LS7? @ Aug 5th 2008 3:05PM
This article makes little sense. What's a loss of fuel economy mean? Comparing H2 consumption rates to gas in gallons? I don't think so.
sweet @ Aug 5th 2008 3:06PM
that's nice but where am I suposed to find a hydrogen fill station... seriously i doubt the infrastructure will be there by 2012
User @ Aug 5th 2008 3:47PM
Free market.
It will be there when people have hydrogen cars.
Same goes for electric. The grid will support the high demand by the time everyone is driving electric.
Joce03 @ Aug 5th 2008 4:31PM
I agree - I seriously doubt that hydrogen stations will be available in less that 4 years. Even ethanol stations are still not easy to find.
To User: This is a quote from "autobloggreen", July 16th of this year:
"Michael Morris, Chairman and CEO of American Electric Power, believes that the U.S. electrical grid is capable of supporting up to 60 million plug-in hybrid vehicles right now."
Lucky for us, the grid is ready!
Benfolio @ Aug 5th 2008 3:06PM
Zoom, zoom, BOOM!
Joce03 @ Aug 5th 2008 4:24PM
Good one!
71cuda @ Aug 5th 2008 3:11PM
Interesting strategy...instead of giving a hybrid the performance of a sports car, they want to give a sports car the performance of a hybrid.
Alec @ Aug 5th 2008 3:17PM
As much as I would love to see this happen, the infrastructure just isn't there. However, if this is somewhat affordable and sells in decent numbers, then there might be a market for the hydrogen and the infrastructure could be built.
Tagg @ Aug 5th 2008 4:23PM
I agree, the infrastructure will not be there for a long time so I question Mazda's choice to pursue this strategy. It may be one thing for a high end automaker like BMW to pursue it but a company like Mazda would be better served in making a hybrid or some other "green" machine. Riskier still is whether or not consumers will buy into hydrogen to power their cars in a big enough way to make financial sense.
Mike Lee @ Aug 5th 2008 3:23PM
Wow...if the RX-9 could look like the showcar and not dumbed-down too much, I'd buy one! I would LOVE to drive a car that looked like it's part of the 20th century, and not some retro-looking vehicle(!).
RITmusic2k @ Aug 6th 2008 10:13AM
I'm pretty sure last century is 'retro' by definition ;)
Shipey @ Aug 5th 2008 3:38PM
Why have the driver switch at all? Why not just have the computer make the decision based on speed and throttle inputs like a stability system? Or, if it can only carry one fuel at a time, the computer would know that too.
Alex @ Aug 5th 2008 3:45PM
Infrastructure means nothing. Look at the the Flex Fuel vehicles running around. Sure E-85 is out there but there are a total of zero E-85 pumps in Southeast Pa, yet i see countless numbers of compatable vehicles. It can be simply a way of being greenly smug.
that said... the Taiki is awesome!
Alec @ Aug 5th 2008 3:50PM
True, but it is much more costly and complicated to implement a hydrogen engine than to retrofit a car for biofuels.
s13hybrid @ Aug 5th 2008 4:51PM
The front end of the Taiki is pure sex, but everything else has to go. Now the Furai concept is perfection (although a different type of vehicle).
jordan @ Aug 5th 2008 6:06PM
@alec
Do some research on converting the Wankel motor to hydrogen, then feel free to say how hard it is.
Hint: it's ridiculously easy; I think it's almost as simple as changing the injectors and plugs into something hydrogen can handle, and then adjusting the a/f ratio accordingly.
Wankels would burn trash for fuel if you could get the fuel filters and air mixtures right :P
For comparison, people have done propane fuel conversions on their RX-7's with very little trouble.
Iridium @ Aug 5th 2008 3:51PM
The rotary engine is the perfect hydrogen powerplant. Mazda has had hydrogen rotaries for years.
Unlike ridiculous hydrogen fuel cell cars that split hydrogen to create electricity to power electric motors, the hydrogen rotary just burns the hydrogen.
This is a great idea, we just need a place to fill the car up. You also don't need the expensive super high PSI tanks either.
Das Boese @ Aug 5th 2008 6:19PM
I can't tell if you're being ironic, or if you're really that uninformed... I really, really hope for the 1st.
While hydrogen itself is one of the worst energy storage mediums ever considered for automotive use, utilizing it to burn in a motor is even worse, it's inefficient to the point of being laughable.
The only thing the idea has going for it is that it doesn't cost half a million dollars like a reasonably efficient fuel cell, but considering the fact that an internal combustion engine is maybe 25% energy efficient and hydrogen is made from hydrocabons, you may as well do away with the hydrogen and burn those hydrocarbons directly.
Oh yeah, and the hydrogen doesn't care what you use it for, so yes, you DO need an expensive high-pressure tank. Or expensive cryogenic storage.
Also lol @ "fuel cell cars that split hydrogen"
That'd be the favourite car of particle physicists.
R ex 8 @ Aug 5th 2008 3:58PM
Just drop the freakin' rotary technology and put in a standard gasoline engine. They suck oil, gas, 0-60 times and your wallet.
halogenrepublic @ Aug 5th 2008 4:19PM
whole-heartedly agree. Slap a MazdaSpeed3 turbo 4 in there.