Apr 20 (Nikkei) - Mazda Motor is planning to revive its iconic rotary engine in a plug-in hybrid car by the end of this year as it attempts to simultaneously please fans and cope with tougher environmental rules in its main markets, such as Europe.
This time, the rotary engine itself will not actually propel the car. Instead, it will generate electricity to power the electric motor and other systems in the car. Mazda aims to make all of its cars electric by 2030.
Conventional engines rely on the up-and-down motion of pistons. Mazda's rotary engine, by contrast, uses triangular rotors that spin, making the structure as a whole more compact. It also boasts high output and low vibration.
Mazda ceased producing cars with rotary engines in 2012 because of the difficulties in meeting environmental regulations. Ever since, the carmaker has been looking for a way to revitalize the iconic design.
Plans to bring back the rotary engine have been dropped or postponed several times over the past few years. Now the company says it is finally ready to release a rotary engine-equipped car in the latter half of this year -- the MX-30 SUV, sold mainly in Europe and Japan.
