Mazda Makes Big Breakthrough in Combustion Engine Technology

Mazda has made what it claims is a big breakthrough in internal combustion engine technology days after signing a deal with Toyota to collaborate on electric engines. The company says it has developed proprietary compression ignition technology that can make internal combustion engines 20 to 30 per cent more efficient than conventional engines. The technology is also supposed to improve torque and will appear in Mazda models from 2019. This development might mean that the demise of the internal combustion engine is not as close as we think.

Mazda has named its new compression-ignition technology Skyactiv-X. While in typical combustion engines, the fuel mixture is ignited by a spark, the Skyactiv-X technology uses a turbocharger in tandem with a piston-compressed fuel-air mixture to cause combustion by compression alone, just like in a diesel engine. This would mean less spark plugs are needed and the engine would be more efficient. Mazda models already have technology that can cause engines to have higher compression ratio in cylinders so that there is more power for the same amount of gas as compared to ordinary engines.

Mazda said that its aim is to reduce emissions that are the outcome of its production process and products to 50 per cent of 2010 levels by 2030 and reduce them by 90 per cent by 2050.

With the use of the new technology, a Mazda model that currently gets 30 miles per gallon could get nearly 40 miles per gallon in its next iteration, and thus motorists could save a significant amount of money over the long run.

Mazda’s breakthrough technology is an innovation that means more fuel efficient cars need not necessarily be more expensive. Motorists in the future will be able to opt for conventional cars, more efficient models like Mazda’s with highly efficient engines, more expensive battery electric cars, mild hybrids and plug-in hybrids.

To hedge its bets, Mazda has also signed a deal with Toyota to collaborate on development of electric models.