SoylentNews is people
SoylentNews
Submitted via IRC for AndyTheAbsurd
Mazda Motor Corp said it would become the world's first automaker to commercialize a much more efficient petrol engine using technology that deep-pocketed rivals have been trying to engineer for decades, a twist in an industry increasingly going electric.
The new compression ignition engine is 20 percent to 30 percent more fuel efficient than the Japanese automaker's current engines and uses a technology that has eluded the likes of Daimler AG and General Motors Co.
Mazda, with a research and development (R&D) budget a fraction of those of major peers, said it plans to sell cars with the new engine from 2019.
"It's a major breakthrough," said Ryoji Miyashita, chairman of automotive engineering company AEMSS Inc.
[...] A homogeneous charge compression ignition (HCCI) engine ignites petrol through compression, eliminating spark plugs. Its fuel economy potentially matches that of a diesel engine without high emissions of nitrogen oxides or sooty particulates.
[...] AEMSS' Miyashita said a key issue would be how smooth and responsive the engine is.
"Is it jerky? If so, that would pose a big question when it comes to commercializing this technology." he said. "Hopefully Mazda has an answer to that question."
Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-mazda-strategy-idUSKBN1AO0E7
(Score: 2) by Grishnakh on Friday August 11 2017, @04:18AM
The 747 was an economical mass people-mover. There was no indication at the time that everyone would suddenly be flying supersonic, plus I'm sure even then it was fairly obvious that SST would be expensive because of the amount of fuel it uses compared to subsonic flight. So no, there was nothing foolish about Boeing building the 747, esp. considering the Concorde didn't even exist at the time. No one would have called investing in gas engine tech foolish before we even had any commercially-successful EVs on the road.
And please show me where I ever said that investing into gas engine R&D is a total waste of money.