Mazda has announced that it is to accelerate its research and development of rotary engines (RE). Following on the heels of its MX-30 R-EV, which saw the return of rotary engines to its product lines, Mazda’s RE Development Group has been reinstated to the Powertrain Technology Development Department in the Powertrain Development Division. The new development group continues to evolve RE used as generators, and will conduct research and development in areas such as regulatory compliance in major markets as well as the application of carbon-neutral fuels.
Commenting on the move, Ichiro Hirose, director, senior managing executive officer and CTO, Mazda, said, “In Mazda’s history, the rotary engine is a special symbol of our ‘challenger spirit’. We are deeply grateful to all those who have supported RE to date and are pleased to announce the rebirth of the organization that develops RE, the engine that has been loved by customers around the world.
“For the last six years, RE engineers have been part of the engine development organization where they engaged in the development of state-of-the-art internal combustion engine functions as well as the ultimate improvement in efficiency. Those engineers have broadened their perspective beyond the boundaries of engine systems and have trained themselves to master the ‘Model-Based Development’, which is one of Mazda’s engineering strengths.
“This time, 36 engineers will gather in one group to make a breakthrough in the research and development of RE. In the age of electrification and in a carbon-neutral society, we promise to keep delivering attractive cars that excite customers with our ‘challenger spirit’.”