MAZDA

RX-8 Hydrogen RE: the brand's model with a Wankel hydrogen engine

Currently, the automobile industry is immersed in the search for alternatives to traditional internal combustion engines, especially in the development of the electric car. There are also manufacturers that are betting on hydrogen, albeit on a smaller scale. But Mazda already had experiments with this element used as a fuel at the beginning of this millennium. And it did so with the Mazda RX-8 Hydrogen RE.

The Japanese brand has made a clear commitment to developing combustion technologies that allow to minimize the impact on the environment. With the RX-8 Hydrogen, Mazda has created a hybrid vehicle based on RENESIS rotary engine technology, capable of running on both gasoline and hydrogen.

It was the year 2003, a period of general bonanza, when the Japanese brand presented itself at the Tokyo Motor Show with a prototype equipped with a hydrogen rotary engine. A year later, the company received a green light from the Japanese authorities to carry out the relevant road tests aimed at the development and practica
l application of this advanced technology.

It took Mazda 29 months to develop a production hydrogen rotary model from a prototype. Thanks to the dual fuel system, the RX-8 Hydrogen RE could run without distinction on gasoline or high-pressure hydrogen. This combination provided great possibilities, as it allowed its use in areas where there was no hydrogen service station infrastructure.

At the same time, this hybrid engine was more respectful of the environment, as it emitted zero CO2 emissions and practically negligible nitrogen oxide particles when using hydrogen, but without losing the driving sensations typical of an internal combustion engine.

Another advantage of the RX-8's hydrogen hybrid engine was that it used Mazda's existing engine components and parts, so this innovative powertrain could be manufactured with a high degree of reliability and at a relatively low production cost.

In terms of performance, the engine produced 210 hp and 222 Nm of torque when running on gasoline, while when using hydrogen, the power was 109 hp and 140 Nm of torque. It had a 61-liter gas tank that gave it a range of 549 kilometers and a 110-liter hydrogen pressure tank at 350 bars, with which it could travel 100 kilometers.

In early 2006, Mazda received authorization from Japan's Ministry of Land Infrastructure and Transport to lease the Mazda RX-8 Hydrogen RE to its first two customers. The car used a system that allowed the driver to select the type of fuel he wanted to use, hydrogen or gasoline, simply by pressing a button.

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