AUTONEWS

MAZDA CONFIRMS ROUND OF 'WANKEL' ENGINE IN 2019
Rumors about the return of rotary engines had already begun several months ago and finally a director of the Japanese company has officially confirmed that Mazda's rotary engines will return next year. This was confirmed by Martijn ten Brink, VP of Sales and Customer Services for Mazda Europe, in recent press statements, revealing a series of details that mark the company's trajectory in the coming years.Brink confirmed that Mazda is developing a purely electric vehicle planned for next year, but there are still no precise details about this new model. He also confirmed that among the options that will be part of its offer is a range extender based on a new Wankel engine.The manufacturer believes that this system will not be necessary for customers who use the car daily to cover distances less than 60 kilometers, since one of the main functions of the new rotary engine will be to eliminate concerns about the limitations of purely electric models.This new rotary motor will be naturally aspirated and will be used exclusively as a power generator to assist the battery system when conditions so require. The manufacturer assures that it is a small unit "not much bigger than a shoebox", and will be situated in a low position so as not to affect the dynamic behavior of the car, running quietly and without vibrations.
However, the path of Mazda is quite different from other manufacturers, because despite betting on electrification as a new alternative to offer its customers, the Japanese manufacturer considers that the thermal engines still have enormous potential. Mazda believes that the combustion engines will continue to be used for at least another 25 years.
Mazda is working to improve the efficiency of its thermal engines by 56%. These are the new Mazda Skyactiv-3 engines, gasoline propellers that promise the same efficiency and emissions as an electric motor, if you take into account the whole process of creating electricity, distribution and storage. According to the first information provided by the manufacturer, the new Mazda Skyactiv-3 engines will have thermal efficiency never seen in a series-produced combustion engine.