Mazda Looking to Cut Fuel Consumption by 30% in 7 Years

Mazda wants to make a push to cut its overall fuel consumption by 30% by the year 2015. It has a number of initiatives it will pursue to achieve this, including an important advanced engine function called Smart Idle Stop.

Smart Idle Stop conserves fuel when the car must restart from a standstill, improving efficiency by 7%-8%. The system will debut in Japan and Europe but eventually become standard worldwide. Additionally, Mazda thinks it can reduce the weight of every vehicle by at least 220 pounds with the use of new lightweight materials and design techniques.

Beginning in 2011, the company will build all new vehicles around a flex-fuel capable engine that uses a technology called Direct Injections Spark Ignition that boosts power and improves fuel economy by 20%.

Mazda will roll out these improvements along with vehicles that run on diesel and even hydrogen (although, we'll believe in the hydrogen car as a viable option by 2015 when we see it). Finally, Mazda will introduce an advanced paint system in its factories that will reduce the facilities’ carbon dioxide emissions by 25% compared to standard water-based paint systems.

Mazda Targeting Average 30% Cut in Fuel Consumption of All its Cars by 2015 (Green Car Congress)

Comments

This article, and the recent introduction of the Cobalt XFE is evidence that automakers have the ability to reduce fuel consumption dramatically using existing technologies, yet they've focused on increasing power and size over all else over the past 20 years.

This is great news. Also, it's great that Mazda plans to do these things without hybrids.

If they can cut gasoline consumption by 30 percent using conventional means, it will be one more nail in the diesel car coffin.

Maybe these are truly new technologies but they sound like Mazda's versions of gasoline direct injection and start-stop engine technology like that used on hybrid vehicles. The more significant news here is their planned reduction in vehicle weights. Less weight means smaller engines to do the same work which means less fuel being used.

I think we have actually gone backwards in fuel efficiency over the last 20 years. Why do we need so much power? Other countries have cars with 1.8L engines that go up hill and do many things and get good fuel effciency. Automakers need to get their acts together and not cheat consumers of higher MPG.

Mazda already did a great job on the Mazda2 by making it more lightweight than it's predecessor. It corresponded to great economy and boosted performance. If they do the same on all new models, plus intorduce stop-start technology, then that's great. these are the sort of "everyday" improvements that ALL makers should be doing. It's not necessarily the case that Hybrids are the only way forward.

LM--this Cobalt XFE gets 36 mpg highway--best in class with a manual

Now, how stupid is GM right about now??
Why do I ask??
Because, in addition to changes that upped the fuel mileage, GM could reduce this 3,200 lb car to a class-respectable 2,600 lbs.

600 pounds off a car
I'm smelling a possible 38 mpg
How about direct injection??
Does it have that??

Alloy block and cylinder heads??

Automakers do what consumer demand. Until now it was power. So the power race was on. Now it is fuel efficiency.
If you ever want to see more fuel efficient cars, ot same cars as Europe has, which are same as US cars but with smaller enines, then you must pray for gas prices to go up a little more.
We see already GM and Ford suspending production of certain models. Toyota soon will kill Sequola, 4Runner, etc. This is coming, guys, and girls.
This is great news because it not only preserves energy but it actually will help the environment.
Today many people buying additional vehicles. We still need Trucks and Minivans but we don't need to drive them as daily commuters. So, even that the park of cars is growing, the actual fuel consumption goes down.