Japan’s Ministry of Land Infrastructure and Transport has given permission for Mazda to begin public road testing of the Premacy Hydrogen RE Hybrid minivan on public roads.
The minivan is the latest of a suite of hydrogen powered cars developed by Mazda. Last month, the Premacy Hydrogen RE Hybrid was displayed and demonstrated at the G8 Hokkaido Tokyo Summit, alongside Mazda’s RX-8 Hydrogen RE, in the summit’s Environmental Showcase.
The Premacy forms part of Mazda’s long-term project to develop vehicles powered by hydrogen energy. Mazda developed the world’s first hydrogen-fueled rotary engine vehicle, the HR-X, in 1991. The RX-8 Hydrogen RE followed in 2003, featuring a dual fuel system allowing the driver to select hydrogen or gasoline fuel with the push of a button.
The RX-8 Hydrogen RE was the first dual-fuel system vehicle in the world to undergo public road testing. Leasing to corporate clients began in 2006, making it the world’s first commercially available hydrogen rotary engine car.
Mazda considers hydrogen to be the best potential source of clean energy for the future. Its hydrogen rotary engine emits no CO2 gases and almost no NOx. It can also be built using conventional engine parts and manufacturing processes, which keeps costs low.
Mazda is a world leader in new motoring technologies. For more information, call in and see the team at Eurocars Mazda Artarmon.
