Mazda Premacy Hydrogen RE Hybrid Hits the Streets

Japanese automaker Mazda proudly announced today that it started commercial leasing of the Premacy Hydrogen RE hybrid, the company's second hydrogen rotary engine model that reaches the market. The first units will be delivered to government authorities in companies involved in the energy sector in 2009, Mazda said in a statement, with the first units already registered at the Hiroshima branch of the Chugoku District Transport Bureau on March 25.

Mazda says specification of this special model were approved by Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) on March 5, 2009, with the Japanese automaker becoming the first manufacturer to commence commercial leasing of a hydrogen hybrid car.

In essence, Mazda's Premacy Hydrogen RE Hybrid is a hydrogen hybrid model that relies on the company's hydrogen rotary assembly and on an electric unit for reduced emissions and fuel consumption. The hybrid system is said to provide a hydrogen fuel range of up to 200 kilometers (124 miles) plus a maximum output of 110 kW (147 horsepower).

Several other technologies aimed at improving fuel efficiency and reducing CO2 emissions are also available, including a dual-fuel system that lets the driver switch to gasoline when hydrogen is unavailable. Most interior parts are made from Mazda’s plant-derived Biotechmaterials, the company said in a statement.

Here are the main specifications of the Mazda Premacy Hydrogen RE Hybrid, as provided by Mazda:

Base model: Mazda Premacy
Overall length: 4,565mm
Overall width: 1,745mm
Overall height: 1,620 mm
Engine: Mazda’s hydrogen rotary engine (with dual-fuel system)
Motor: Alternating current synchronous motor
Maximum output: 110 kW
Generator: Alternating current synchronous generator
Battery: Lithium-ion (Li-ion)
Seating capacity: Five
Fuel: Hydrogen and gasoline
Hydrogen tank: 35 MPa high-pressure tank