HIROSHIMA, Japan, Jan 13, 2010 - (ACN Newswire) - Mazda Motor Corporation today delivered a 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 delivery marks the fifth Premacy Hydrogen RE Hybrid to be leased by Mazda, and the second to be provided to Iwatani Corporation. The first model was delivered to Iwatani Corporation in May 2009. The new vehicle will be mainly used for business purposes and will be based at the Kitakyushu Hydrogen Station. It is the first hydrogen rotary engine vehicle to be leased in Kyushu, the most southwesterly of Japan's four main islands.
The Mazda Premacy Hydrogen RE Hybrid uses a unique hybrid system with power delivered to the vehicle? wheels by an electric motor. This powertrain substantially enhances the driving performance and boosts the hydrogen fuel driving range to 200 kilometers, twice the range of Mazda's previous hydrogen vehicle, the RX-8 Hydrogen RE. The Premacy Hydrogen RE Hybrid can run on gasoline as well as hydrogen thanks to a dual-fuel system that was developed for the RX-8 Hydrogen RE.
Mazda's program manager in charge of hydrogen RE development, Akihiro Kashiwagi, said, "Mazda is pleased to deliver a second Premacy Hydrogen RE Hybrid to the Iwatani Corporation. Iwatani has been a leader in advancing the use of hydrogen energy for years. We're doubly delighted that the vehicle will be used in Fukuoka prefecture, an area known as a research hub for the real-world use of hydrogen energy."
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: 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
For more information on the Mazda Premacy Hydrogen RE Hybrid, please visit:
http://www.mazda.com/mazdaspirit/env/hybrid/premacy_hre.html