Mazda's New Petrol Engine "Has Potential" For EV-Rivalling Emissions
It seems Mazda is on the PR offensive with its new and enormously clever SkyActiv-X engine. You can hardly blame them - when almost every other major car company out there is shoving electrification down consumers’ throats, Mazda needs to explain why developing internal combustion any further is a good thing.
Today, it’s doing so with numbers. To demonstrate what it means about the new engine being the “right solution at the right time,” Mazda wants a greater focus on “well-to-wheel” emissions. In other words, it’s all well and good calling something electrically driven a ‘zero emission vehicle’, but that doesn’t take into account where that electricity came from, while also factoring in manufacture, shipping and fuel extraction.
Mazda has given a figure of a mid-size EV consuming roughly 20kWh of electricity every 62 miles. If that power was from a coal-fired powerplant, Mazda says that’d equate to CO2 emissions of 200g/km, while from a petrol-based source, it’d be 156g/km. Finally, if it’s LNG-generated (liquefied petroleum gas) juice, you’re looking at 100g/km.
This gives an average of 128g/km, which Mazda’s current SkyActiv-G with its 142g/km figure is only 10 per cent off. SkyActiv-X on the other hand - which uses high compression levels for a super-lean burn - should be 20 - 30 per cent more efficient than -G. You can see where they’re going with this.
The only trouble is, government regulations in countries across the world don’t reflect this - EVs are treated as zero-emission vehicles, making generous tax breaks, grants and other incentives common. It’s also generally much cheaper to charge up an EV than it is to fill up a car with a tank of petrol. Mazda may well have a battle on its hands convincing new car buyers to shirk the current cost savings of going electric or plug-in hybrid to the potential benefit of Mother Nature.
Mazda is keen to point out that it is still developing electric powertrains, for use in countries where the electricity grids are a little less dirty (think Norway), and in preparation for power generation becoming cleaner in other markets. SkyActiv-X will feature a mild hybrid element (although Mazda has said precious little about it thus far), and there’ll be a plug-in hybrid coming by 2025.
Growing up on a diet of World Rally Championship highlights and lengthy Gran Turismo 2 sessions, a life in cars was as good as inevitable for Matt.
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The only trouble is, government regulations in countries across the world don’t reflect this - EVs are treated as zero-emission vehicles, making generous tax breaks, grants and other incentives common. It’s also generally much cheaper to charge up an EV than it is to fill up a car with a tank of petrol.
This is what Jeremy Clarkson is always ranting on about. The political correctness of the government without actually seeing the sustainability of a system and directly implementing it because it’s aesthetically clean DOES NOT mean it’s actually clean OR sustainable for +7 billion people! 😡
Oh shit that’s a picture of portuguese town Costa Nova
Let me get this straight. No, I never hate Mazda and it’s ways, in fact, I like it. But however, why everyone only praises Mazda for saving the petrol engine? cough insert random small automaker here cough
Because besides Nissan and Koenigsegg, Mazda’s the only name actually working on technology to improve the real-world efficiency of ICE engines. Also, Mazda’s technology is arguably more innovative than Nissan’s, and Mazda’s reach into the automotive segment is infinitely greater than Koenigsegg’s. Not to mention Mazda’s actually reasonably close to its goals.
Again, getting supercar-beating figures out of an ICE engine isn’t innovation. Technological advancement is what might save the ICE engine.
I still miss this engine form Mazda
The hybrids are coming
This technology is great, that’s for sure. And it’s a better thing for the environment than most ICE. But it’s nowhere near the efficiency of EV. The CO² emission depend of the energetic mix of your country : for Europe it’s 57g/km (to compare to the 100g/km of mazda, at best).
Long live Mazda!!! I currently own a Mazda 3s with the 2.5L engine (live in Mexico) and is the best car I have ever owned!!! I have driven Audi and BMW and by far the experience has been rewarding. Useful power, handles like a dream and is very forgiving car (driving it like a maniac)! Plus it has the best fuel economy from all the cars at my house (dad’s Nissan Altima 2.5L, mom’s Honda Odyssey NA version, and even my sister’s Ford Fiesta SE 1.6L).
We still have to stop buying oil from arab countries, which is what some people don’t get.
Mazda has given a figure of a mid-size EV consuming roughly 20kWh of electricity every 62 miles.
That’s a pretty steep estimate if you ask me. A Tesla P100D (which is far from mid-sized) needs 16 kWh per 100 km. A VW e-Golf, an actual mid-sized car, only needs 13 kWh per 100 km. That equates to only 65g/km if the electricity is generated through liquified petroleum gas.
Mazda is the savior for car guys!