With "Commuter in Mind" as a development concept and using the mass-produced Demio presently available on the markets as standard, Mazda has produced the Demio EV (Electric Vehicle). It is mounted with a highly efficient AC synchronized motor, while incorporating the hybrid power source system that combines a newly developed ultra- capacitor and nickel hydrogen cells. As a result, the Demio EV shows superb driving performance as a commuter.
Fuel cell system
Fuel cells generate electrical energy through a chemical reaction with oxygen. Mazda's system eliminates the moisture supplied to the fuel cell along with the oxygen (gas), thanks to the slimming down of the high-polymer membranes. Due to this advance in technology, the oxygen humidifier which previously took up about 15% of the total volume is no longer required, bringing the use of fuel cell stacks in cars closer to reality.
Direct injection gasoline engine with stratified charge
The displacement of the direct injection gasoline engine with stratified charge is 1,991 cc and it features a four-cylinder DOHC 16-valve layout. Through the use of innovations such as the lean-burn engine's cylinder internal flow control mechanism, stable stratified combustion has been realized over a wide range of driving conditions. This produces substantial improvements in fuel economy not only at normal cruising speeds but at high speeds as well. The result is an improvement in the Japanese 10•15 mode fuel economy by more than 30% and a 10% increase in maximum output, compared with conventional engines. In addition, a large-volume EGR system and the three-way catalyst of the lean- burn engine have been improved for use with fuel injection, resulting in significantly cleaner exhaust.
Direct injection diesel turbo engine
The displacement of the direct injection diesel turbo engine is 1,998 cc and it features a four-cylinder 16 valves with a turbocharger. The engine incorporates a fuel-efficient direct injection in the compact size and drastically reduces combustion noise and NOx emissions. Each cylinder has a four-valve design and center-oriented injection nozzle along with an electronic fuel injection system. These features allow the direct injection engine to maintain the high pressure air-fuel combustion of conventional direct injection engines during the main propagation period while providing the quick ignition of indirect injection engines. The maximum output and maximum torque are 100 ps/ 3,500 rpm (target) and 22.4 kg-m/ 2,000 rpm (target), respectively. In comparison with the same displacement engine, the compact direct injection diesel turbo engine improves the maximum output by 22%, the maximum torque by 21% and the fuel economy for a 60km/h constant driving by approximately 30%.
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