Mazda delivers first Premacy Hydrogen RE Hybrid

A little while ago we told you that Mazda had begun taking orders for its Premacy Hydrogen RE Hybrid. Well, today they delivered the first one to a Japanese energy company, Iwatani Corporation. As we told you before, the Mazda Premacy Hydrogen RE Hybrid takes the basic powertrain from the Mazda RX-8 Hydrogen RE and adds an electric motor in series, adding a healthy dose of zoom-zoom while extending the range.

Hydrogen fuel range is twice that of the RX-8 at 200 kilometers. Not only that, but the rotary mill can switch to running on gasoline if hydrogen isn't handy. The powerplant and its lithium-ion batteries are then mounted in the oh-so-versatile Premacy microvan, which is better known as the Mazda5 on these shores.

Iwatani Corporation has had an RX-8 Hydrogen RE in their fleet since March 2006 and this Premacy will join it at the company's offices in Western Japan for a while, before heading to the Kansai International Airport in Osaka. There it will be used at the Japan Hydrogen & Fuel Cell Demonstration Project's (JHFC) Kansai Airport Hydrogen Station. The full press release is after the jump.

[Source: Mazda]

PRESS RELEASE:

Mazda Delivers First Premacy Hydrogen RE Hybrid to Iwatani Corporation
HIROSHIMA, Japan-Mazda Motor Corporation today delivered the first Mazda Premacy Hydrogen RE Hybrid to Iwatani Corporation, an energy development company based in Japan. The Premacy Hydrogen RE Hybrid is Mazda's latest hydrogen rotary engine (RE) vehicle which uses hydrogen as a fuel and features a unique hybrid system.

The Mazda Premacy Hydrogen RE Hybrid can run on both hydrogen and gasoline thanks to a dual-fuel system that was developed for the current RX-8 Hydrogen RE. The addition of a new hybrid system significantly enhances the vehicle's performance and contributes to its increased hydrogen fuel range of 200 kilometers; double that of the RX-8 Hydrogen RE.

The Premacy Hydrogen RE Hybrid is the second hydrogen rotary engine vehicle to be leased to Iwatani Corporation, following an RX-8 Hydrogen RE that was delivered in March 2006. The new model will be used for business purposes at the company's offices in Western Japan, before being located at the Japan Hydrogen & Fuel Cell Demonstration Project's (JHFC) Kansai Airport Hydrogen Station, where it will be used at the Kansai International Airport in Osaka and for a variety of other purposes.

Akihiro Kashiwagi, Mazda's program manager in charge of hydrogen RE development, said, "Mazda is delighted to deliver our newest hydrogen rotary engine vehicle to Iwatani, which has been engaged in advancing the further uses of hydrogen energy for many years. Mazda will use the feedback we receive from Iwatani to further improve the performance of hydrogen-fueled rotary engine vehicles as we wish to do our part to achieve a hydrogen energy society in the future."

Based on its Sustainable Zoom-Zoom plan, Mazda is committed to pursuing harmony between driving pleasure and environmental and safety features. Mazda constantly strives to offer vehicles that "look inviting to drive, are fun to drive, and make you want to drive them again."

Main specifications of the Mazda Premacy Hydrogen RE Hybrid
Base model: Mazda Premacy
Overall length: 4,565 mm
Overall width: 1,745 mm
Overall height: 1,620 mm
Engine: Mazda's hydrogen rotary engine (with dual-fuel system)
Motor: Alternating current synchronous motor
Maximum output: 110 kW
Generator: Alternating current synchronous generator
Battery: Lithium-ion (Li-ion)
Seating capacity: Five
Fuel: Hydrogen and gasoline
Hydrogen tank: 35 MPa high-pressure tank

History of Mazda's hydrogen vehicle development
1991 Developed first hydrogen rotary engine vehicle, HR-X
1992 Conducted test drive of golf cart equipped with fuel cell
1993 Developed second hydrogen rotary engine vehicle, HR-X2
Developed MX-5 test vehicle equipped with hydrogen rotary engine
1995 Conducted Japan's first public road tests of a hydrogen rotary engine vehicle, Capella Cargo.
1997 Developed Demio FC-EV
2001 Developed Premacy FC-EV, conducted first public road test in Japan
2003 Announced RX-8 hydrogen rotary engine development
2004 Received MLIT approval for public road testing of RX-8 Hydrogen RE
2006 Started commercial leasing of RX-8 Hydrogen RE in Japan (eight models have been delivered to date)
2007 Signed agreement to provide RX-8 Hydrogen REs to Hynor, a Norwegian national transportation project
2008 Commenced public road tests in Norway with RX-8 Hydrogen RE validation vehicle
2009 Commenced commercial leasing of Premacy Hydrogen RE Hybrid in Japan

For more information on Mazda's hydrogen rotary engine vehicles, please visit:
http://www.mazda.com/mazdaspirit/env/