. Mazda Delivers First Rotary Hydrogen Vehicles
To Corporate Customer Fleets
RX-8 Hydrogen RE
features a hydrogen or gasoline dual-fuel system
Photo: Mazda
HIROSHIMA -
Japan-Mazda Motor Corporation has delivered one RX-8 Hydrogen
RE vehicle each to its first two corporate customers for
this model, Idemitsu Kosan Co., Ltd. in Tokyo, and Iwatani
International Corporation in Osaka, Japan. RX-8 Hydrogen
RE cars are equipped with a rotary engine and feature a
dual-fuel system that allows the driver to select either
hydrogen or gasoline with the flick of a switch. The vehicles
that have been leased to Mazda's first two corporate fleet
customers are based on Mazda's original body design but
with specially added company decals for each customer's
use. The delivery of these vehicles for fleet use marks
the world's first case of leasing an internal combustion
engine vehicle that can use both hydrogen and gasoline as
fuel.
Akihiro Kashiwagi, RX-8 Hydrogen
RE development program manager, said, "We're pleased to deliver these hydrogen
rotary vehicles for fleet use in these two companies, which are participating
in the Japan Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Demonstration Project (JHFC) and are
actively engaged in advancing further uses of hydrogen energy. And we are
looking forward to hearing feedback from our customers about the cars. Mazda
will continue its efforts to improve the performance of hydrogen-fueled
rotary engine vehicles and do its part to help achieve a more environmentally
friendly hydrogen energy society in the future."
Conducted the world's first
public road tests of the RX-8 hydrogen rotary engine that can run on two
types of fuel--hydrogen and gasoline
