The Internal Combustion Engine Isn't Going Anywhere Just Yet
While most major automakers have been preparing for the wholesale conversion of their future fleet to alternative-fuel powertrains such as hybrid, electric, and fuel-cell vehicles, Mazda has been fine-tuning the good ol' internal-combustion engine (ICE) for better miles per gallon.
This strategy has paid off: Over the past five years Mazda has had the highest corporate average fuel economy of any automaker in the US, at close to 30mpg.
Of class, Mazda offers a express number of vehicles—mostly pocket-sized to midsize cars and crossovers and no large trucks. While this helps give information technology an overall fuel economy advantage over larger "full line" automakers, within each vehicle segment Mazda likewise rank at or almost the meridian in fuel economy over competitors.
Then as other automakers double down on alternative fuel vehicles—which currently brand up only a minor sliver of the overall market—Mazda is focusing on wringing the most fuel efficiency out of its Water ice power trains. It'due south been successfully doing this via its Skyactiv technology that was introduced in 2022 and, simply put, uses loftier compression within an engine'southward cylinders to increment fuel efficiency every bit well as engine output.
Mazda United states recently invited a group of media (including yours truly) to preview and road test its side by side-generation Water ice engine technology, called SkyActiv-X, almost its Orangish Canton headquarters. I came away impressed with not only the new power train's operation—Mazda's marketing is slogan is "Driving Matters," after all—but as well the way Mazda is positioning SkyActiv-X technology for the time to come.
Mazda's X Cistron
The adjacent-generation SkyActiv-10 engine uses what's known as homogeneous charge compression ignition (HCCI). While other automakers accept experimented with HCCI engines, the engineering science'due south high compression characteristics brand information technology susceptible to "knocking" (when combustion of the air-fuel mixture in the cylinder is mistimed), which can result in engine damage.
Mazda came up with a solution to this trouble by leveraging a leaner fuel mixture (less fuel is mixed with air in each cylinder) to control engine knocking. It too devised a method to advisedly control pressure level in the combustion chamber at various ambience temperatures and humidity levels, which tin significantly impact the combustion process.
To show the effectiveness of this new approach, Mazda gave us the opportunity to drive prototypes based on a Mazda3 equipped with SkyActiv-Ten engines. We had nigh xxx minutes behind the wheel of both manual and automatic transmission models. Besides enhancing efficiency, the high compression ratio gives the SkyActiv-X extra low-end, which was especially axiomatic in the prototype with the transmission transmission.
The current ii.0-liter SkyActiv-K engine in the Mazda3 is rated at 155 horsepower and 150 lb-ft of torque. According to Mazda, the epitome SkyActiv-Ten engine produces near 178 horsepower and 170 lb-ft—and this extra seat-pinning torque oomph was very noticeable during our test drive. Mazda also said that SkyActiv-X approach extends to the "every aspect of the vehicle," including the motorcar body, chassis, and manual to maximize efficiency, reduce weight, and improve aerodynamics.
I detected a fleck of knocking under hard acceleration, especially with the manual transmission, but information technology was barely noticeable. Mazda said it's still working on terminal scale, and an engineer riding shotgun with me said the automaker expects to have the knocking resolved before product.
Mazda is targeting a 20 pct improvement in fuel economic system with the new SkyActiv-X platform, and it volition be combined with a mild hybrid system, which wasn't on the prototypes we drove. This indicates that Mazda isn't completely married to Ice engines, and information technology plans to ramp up production of its own alternative-fuel vehicles, mainly hybrids and EVs, over the side by side decade.
But Mazda believes Ice engines volition play a critical function even every bit hybrids and plug-in electric hybrids become prevalent. Dave Coleman, a vehicle development engineer at Mazda, as well noted that "SkyActiv technology can be used in all hybrids to improve overall fuel economy."
Mazda believes ICE engines will play a prominent role in cars at least until 2050, which is why the automaker hasn't completely climbed on the alt-fuel bandwagon compared to much larger competitors. And Mazda's SkyActiv applied science allows the niche automaker to zig—or zoom-zoom—equally other automobile companies zag.
About Doug Newcomb
Source: https://sea.pcmag.com/opinion/19338/the-internal-combustion-engine-isnt-going-anywhere-just-yet
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