Mazda Formally Reveals the Return of the Rotary Engine As Range Extenders for Electric Cars

Skype October 7, 2018 Automobile Leave a comment 389 Views

See? And you thought all that praying to Ahura Mazda Was for absolutely nothing? Well it worked: Mazda’s famous Wankel rotary engine is returning! To cars and trucks! Of course, Ahura Mazda’s power isn’t precisely what it was back in 500 BCE, so there’s a catch: the rotaries will just be used as variety extenders for upcoming Mazda electric cars. Still, the rotary’s back! Lastly, you can have apex seal issues on an electrical vehicle!

I kid, I kid! I love the rotary!

Mazda is planning to have 95 percent combustion-electric hybrid lorries by 2030 (the remaining 5 percent will be pure battery-electric automobiles), and are preparing to utilize rotaries as range extenders for the hybrid automobiles, mentioning the rotary’s little size to power output ratio, peaceful operation, and fuel flexibility:

The rotary engine’s little size and high power output make numerous electrification technology options possible via a shared product packaging design. Making the most of the rotary engine’s compatibility with gaseous fuels, the rotary-powered range extender is designed to likewise burn liquefied petroleum gas and supply a source of electrical energy in emergencies.

The rotary engine was initially used as a range extender on the Mazda Cosmo, when it extended that automobile’s range from 0 miles to nevertheless numerous miles you desired by including more gas.

A rotary is a pretty good choice for a range-extending engine for not just the factors pointed out above, but because it’s practically vibration-free and has fewer moving parts than a traditional piston engine, helping with maintenance and durability.

It’s possible the rotaries utilized may be little and oriented with the rotor on a horizontal plane instead of a vertical, as seen in this Japanese patent drawing from September:

A flat, horizontal layout will likely make packaging much easier, potentially allowing a rotary range extender to be housed in an underfloor compartment along with a hybrid’s batteries.

The very first Mazda hybrid with a rotary variety extender is anticipated to come out in 2020. Sure, it’s not an all-new rotary RX-7, however I’m simply pleased to see the rotary engine still staying alive and pertinent.