Hiroshima,
Japan - Mazda Motor Corporation received permission from
Japan's Ministry of Land Infrastructure and Transport (MLIT)
on February 10, 2006, to begin leasing the RX-8 Hydrogen
RE to its first two corporate customers. These vehicles,
equipped with a rotary engine, feature a dual-fuel system
that allows the driver to select either hydrogen or gasoline
with the flick of a switch. Mazda has started limited leasing
of the vehicles and today concluded leases with two energy-related
companies, marking the first lease contracts of a hydrogen-powered
rotary engine equipped vehicle in the world.
Delivery of the vehicles
is scheduled to take place in late March 2006.
Mazda RX-8 Hydrogen
RE
Idemitsu Kosan Co.
Ltd. and Iwatani International Corporation, both companies operating
in the energy sector, have leased one vehicle each. By the end of
2006, Mazda plans to lease about 10 RX-8 Hydrogen RE cars to local
government and energy companies.
In 2003, Mazda exhibited
a RX-8 hydrogen rotary vehicle at the Tokyo Motor Show and received
permission from MLIT in October 2004 to conduct public road tests
for ongoing development and practical application of this advanced
technology. Mazda undertook 29 months of development from the time
of announcing the concept model to achieving the breakthrough, real-world
rotary hydrogen vehicle.
Employing a dual-fuel
system, the Mazda RX-8 Hydrogen RE can run on either high-pressure
hydrogen gas or gasoline. This combination offers excellent convenience
because it can be driven in remote areas where hydrogen fueling
stations are not readily available, easing driver concerns about
running out of fuel. In addition, this system boasts great environmental
friendliness-zero emission of carbon dioxide (CO2) gas and near
zero nitrogen oxide (NOx) emission when fueled by hydrogen-together
with the natural driving feel of an internal combustion engine.
It uses engine parts and production facilities that already exist
in Mazda's inventory, so this innovative engine can be built with
a high degree of reliability at a relatively low cost. The standard
monthly lease price is 420,000 yen with tax included (400,000 yen/month
without tax) which is almost half the monthly lease price of a fuel
cell vehicle already available in Japan.
With the RX-8 Hydrogen
RE, Mazda continues to advance the possibilities of the internal
combustion engine and improve the performance of hydrogen-fueled
rotary engine vehicles. It represents another Mazda contribution
to a more environmentally friendly hydrogen energy society of the
future.
Specifications and
lease price of Mazda RX-8 Hydrogen RE Vehicle
Standard lease
price (Price without tax indicated in brackets.) 420,000 yen
(400,000 yen) per month [Ca. 3,000 Euro] *Monthly lease payment
for the 30-month lease period.
