Mazda News - Geneva Preview: Mazda3 with direct inject and auto stop to debut w/VIDEO

Geneva Preview: Mazda3 with direct inject and auto stop to debut w/VIDEO

Filed under: MPG, Mazda, Geneva Motor Show

The 2010 edition of the Mazda3 lineup will get rounded out at the Geneva Motor Show next month with the debut of the new MazdaSpeed3 and its 2.0L direct injected four cylinder with intelligent auto stop. The MazdaSpeed3 is the turbocharged high performance variant of the lineup. However, the more pedestrian versions are getting some interesting technology, at least for the European market.

The Mazda3 i-Stop features a 2.0L direct-injected and normally aspirated four-cylinder engine. The MZR 2.0 DISI is the first appliaction of i-Stop, or Mazda’s intelligent auto start/stop system. Instead of using a starter/generator to re-start the engine, the engine is stopped in a specific position with the valves closed in one cylinder. The fuel is sprayed directly into the combustion chamber and then ignited to get the piston moving and re-start the engine. There’s been no word from Mazda on when or if we’ll see this system in the U.S. market, but Mazda claims the combination of i-Stop and DI accounts for a 12-percent reduction in fuel consumption for the 3. Check out the press release and a teaser video for the MazdaSpeed3 after the jump.

[Source: Mazda]

Continue reading Geneva Preview: Mazda3 with direct inject and auto stop to debut w/VIDEO

Geneva Preview: Mazda3 with direct inject and auto stop to debut w/VIDEO originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Tue, 03 Feb 2009 12:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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[tags]mazda cars, mazda news, mazda models[/tags]

Mazda News - Mazda3 to get stop/start and DSG to reduce fuel consumption

Mazda3 to get stop/start and DSG to reduce fuel consumption

Filed under: Emerging Technologies, Mazda, European Union, Japan, UK

Two of the most promising green technologies that are currently infiltrating the automotive market are so-called stop/start systems and DSG transmissions. We’re happy to report that the new Mazda3 is slated to get both of these eco-friendly features, with Mazda’s proprietary Smart Idle stop/start coming before the end of 2009 on both the 1.6L and the 2.0L gasoline-fed four cylinder engines. That technology isn’t planned to make an appearance in the European diesel models with their high-tech catalytic converters.

Mazda also says that it’s planning to introduce dual-clutch gearbox technology in the 3, its most popular model. We’re not yet sure what powerplants will be mated to the slick-shifting new transmission, or whether DSG will be paired with stop/start for the ultimate in affordable, current fuel-saving technology. Another unanswered question is if either of these bits will migrate from Europe and Japan to the United States, though we can certainly hope

[Source: Autocar]

Mazda3 to get stop/start and DSG to reduce fuel consumption originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Fri, 23 Jan 2009 16:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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[tags]mazda cars, mazda news, mazda models[/tags]

Mazda News - Mazda2 may come to America after all

Mazda2 may come to America after all

Filed under: Mazda

When the new Mazda2 debuted at the 2007 Geneva Motor Show many of us were disappointed to learn that it probably would not be coming to the US market. Times have changed, though, and It now looks like the car might actually make it here in the second half of next year, following the US release of the Ford Fiesta sibling. The 2 and the Fiesta share a common architecture but each has unique styling. It will be interesting to see how the 2 is positioned in the market against the Fiesta. While the cars share much of the same underpinnings, the fact that the Mazda is built in Japan will likely result in a higher price than the Mexican-built Ford.

Both cars (the Fiesta and the 2) benefit from a major emphasis on weight reduction compared to their predecessors. In European trim, the 2 weighs in at 2,100 lbs compared to the 2,500 lb Honda Fit. Whatever happens, it’s good to see more cool looking and fun to drive small cars coming to the US market.

[Source: ConsumerGuideAutomotive]

Mazda2 may come to America after all originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Fri, 09 Jan 2009 13:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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[tags]mazda cars, mazda news, mazda models[/tags]

Mazda News - New Mazda3 catalytic converter cuts precious metal use by 70%

New Mazda3 catalytic converter cuts precious metal use by 70%

Filed under: Emerging Technologies, Mazda

One of the keys to cutting vehicle emissions over the past 40 years, aside from electronic engine management systems, has been the catalytic converter. Unfortunately, catalytic converters are expensive due to the fact that precious metals such as platinum and rhodium have to be used to trigger the reactions that transform the noxious emissions from the engine into something less harmful. Traditional converter manufacturing methods use base material coated with the catalyst. Unfortunately, the catalyst tends to clump up, reducing the effective surface area that makes contact with the exhaust.

Mazda has developed a new manufacturing process with a base structure that holds the precious metal catalyst material in place. When combined with a method of producing nano-sized catalyst particles less than 5nm in diameter, the effective area that is exposed is dramatically increased. Mazda has managed to reduce the amount of precious metals in the converter for the new 2010 Mazda3 by 70 percent to just 0.15g/L of capacity. Given the spike in precious metal prices in the past year, this could be a huge benefit to Mazda and whoever they share the technology with. If the same technology can be applied to other types of catalytic converters like lean NOx traps, it could also reduce the cost premium of diesel engines.

[Source: Mazda]

Continue reading New Mazda3 catalytic converter cuts precious metal use by 70%

New Mazda3 catalytic converter cuts precious metal use by 70% originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Thu, 08 Jan 2009 17:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mazda News - Australians get another all-electric car option with Energetique evMe

Australians get another all-electric car option with Energetique evMe

Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Mazda

If you don’t want to wait for a traditional automaker to put an electric car on the road, a conversion of an existing vehicle is one way to achieve gasoline freedom. Using the Mazda 2 as their chassis of choice, Energetique has done just that with their evMe. While it’s not the first new-car conversion from Down Under, it is the best looking and it offers some good performance numbers as well. Powered by lithium polymer batteries, the evMe is said to have a range of 125 to 155 miles, depending on driving mode and conditions, and the Brusa AC motor and electronics can take it up to 80 mph. Its 0 to 60 mph time is a respectable 10 seconds.

Having sold off their first copy, the conversion team reportedly have more than 100 orders waiting to be filled. The asking price is $70,000 Australian dollars (that’s “only” $47,476.78 U.S) and affords you the ability to pass by gas stations forever. Hit the jump for a bit of bonus video (soundtrack alert!) of the evMe making a few passes.

[Source: Energetique]

Continue reading Australians get another all-electric car option with Energetique evMe

Australians get another all-electric car option with Energetique evMe originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Tue, 23 Dec 2008 18:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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[tags]mazda cars, mazda news, mazda models[/tags]

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