Mazda Sets 30% Increase Fuel Economy Target For Next-Gen SkyActiv

Mazda's SkyActiv powertrains are showing what innovations can do to the good-ole' internal combustion engine. But that doesn't mean the automaker isn't resting on its laurels. Far from it. Automotive News reports that Mazda has some big plans in store for the next two-generations of SkyActiv.

First up is SkyActiv 2. Mazda has set an ambitious goal of increasing fuel economy by 30 percent. To pull this off, engineers will increase the compression ratio from 14:1 to 18:1. SkyActiv 2 will also employ homogeneous charge compression ignition (HCCI) which uses high compression and temperature to ignite fuel for combustion. Now implementing HCCI does bring forth a set of challenges such as engine cooling and the range of engine speeds for HCCI to operate properly. If Mazda can figure out those issues, the engine will likely go into vehicles before 2020. 2020 is an important year since new European regulations which will cut carbon dioxide emissions standards to 95 grams per kilometer.

Then there is SkyActiv 3, which is aiming to have the same well-to-wheels carbon emissions as electric vehicles. Mazda will look into ways of reducing losses from exhaust and cooling to help get more energy to the wheels.

Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required)

William Maley is a staff writer for Cheers & Gears. He can be reached at [email protected] or you can follow him on twitter at @realmudmonster.