Hydrogen Filling Station Approved for Mazda |
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Written by h2daily staff
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Sunday, 14 September 2008 |
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Mazda Motor Corporation has received authorization from the Japanese government to operate a hydrogen-gas filling station near its Hiroshima headquarters. The station stores and supplies fuel to Mazda vehicles powered by hydrogen rotary engines; the vehicles are currently under development. The station should be able to fill up to 10 vehicles a day.
The RX-8 Hydrogen Rotary vehicle, which runs on either hydrogen or gasoline will be marketed as a commercial model to public offices and enterprise users in Japan Mazda now continues its development of the world's first dual-fuel rotary engine, the H2RE (Mazda RX-8 Hydrogen RE). The new facility will store and supply fuel for the hydrogen-rotary powered vehicles and Mazda looks likely to have street-legal versions in use within the next two years.
The novel concept appeared as part of the Mazda display at the International Detroit Motor Show in January, and builds on the colossal worldwide success of the Mazda RX-8 four-door coupe. The H2RE is powered by a modified version of Mazda's award-winning RENESIS rotary engine and features an electronically controlled hydrogen direct injection system on the rotor housing.
The hydrogen/rotary combination also offers superior environmental performance - zero CO2 emissions and near zero NOx emissions. The innovative engine can be built reliably at a relatively low cost because existing parts and production facilities are utilized. More importantly, the hydrogen/gasoline dual fuel system will enable the H2RE to travel beyond the range of the few hydrogen filling stations now available.
Mazda will continue to develop this technology for practical use and for a hydrogen-fuelled society of the future.
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