Mazda’s New Engine Tech Will Cut Fuel Consumption By a Third

Mazda is coming out with a new high-tech engine that will cut fuel consumption by a third.

Mazda is set to introduce a new engine at the end of 2018 that uses pressure instead of spark plugs to ignite fuel, a technology the Japanese automaker says will increase fuel economy by 30 percent. The engine will be the first practical use of the technology, which is called homogeneous charge compression ignition. Although hybrids are becoming increasingly popular, the company believes the internal combustion engine will live on for the foreseeable future and its investment into a new engine reinforces that idea.

By igniting the mix of air and fuel by subjecting them to pressure, the new engine will make combustion more efficient than conventional motors featuring spark plugs. The technology will also reduce exhaust emissions.

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Expect Mazda to first use the new engine in the next-generation Mazda3 before it is gradually rolled out to other models in the company’s lineup. The company says it represents the next generation of its Skyactiv suite of environmentally friendly technologies.

As for electrified Mazdas, look for the Japanese automaker to begin mass producing EVs by 2019 and a plug-in hybrid introduced by 2021.

[Source: Nikkei]

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