Automotive Engineering - August 2024 - 14

TECHNOLOGY REPORT
" From an early stage, we have explored
the environmentally friendly potential
of these engines, including burning
hydrogen in the 1990s, " Mazda president
and CEO Masahiro Moro said during
the press conference. " Rotary engines
are compact and lightweight, and yet
have a high output. The structural characteristics
make them omnivores with
respect to fuels. What's more, though
not widely known, their compact size
and relative freedom in the layout of
auxiliary parts allow for high space efficiency
and easy mounting of electric
devices, offering a great advantage for
innovative packaging and design. "
Moro said the inherent benefits of a
rotary engine, specifically the quietness
and low vibration, give it a " singular value. "
" We believe that the rotary engine
holds great potential for providing new
value in the age of electrification and
we are devoting all our energies to
overcoming the current challenge of
emission compliance for our rotary
engines, " he said.
Subaru: EVs with AWD will keep
the " Subaru difference "
Subaru is not giving up on the Boxer
engine. New ICE-plus-electric powertrains
from the company will keep the
brand's symmetrical all-wheel drive laySubaru's
next-generation hybrid powertrain system.
out for future hybrid and PHEV models,
but Subaru president and CEO Atsushi
Osaki said his company remains open to
all different kinds of powertrain options.
" At Subaru, we are navigating this period
of a great transformation by focusing
on flexibility and expandability, " he said.
" At Subaru, internal combustion engines
mean horizontally opposed engines. The
company's pioneers regard longitudinally
mounted, horizontally opposed engines
as the logical and ideal source of power
for automobiles. This has developed into
Subaru's unique symmetrical AWD system
with a superior packaging that takes
advantage of a symmetrical powertrain
layout and the features of a horizontally
opposed engine: lightweight, compact,
low center with gravity reduced vibration
and the safety in collisions. "
Subaru's new powertrain layout, still
with AWD, will be a series-parallel system
that uses an ICE that will either
directly power the wheels or send power
to a generator, which will in turn
power a battery that moves the motor
and then the wheels. The car will decide
where to send ICE energy by choosing
the most-efficient path.
Subaru's future hybrid and PHEV
models will likely have fuel tanks that
are the same size as a gasoline-only car,
Subaru said, but it won't need to be
filled with a petroleum product. " Subaru
is also eager to collaborate in efforts to
promote the adoption of a carbon neutral, "
Osaki said. " The challenge of creating
a carbon neutral society needs to
be tackled and not just by the three
companies here, but by all of the
Japanese industry and society. "
Subaru said it will start producing
Prototype vehicle with 1.5-L in-line 4-cylinder engine in development by Toyota Motor Corporation.
14 August 2024
transaxles for the next-generation hybrid
system in the fall of 2024 at its Kitamoto
Plant in Saitama Prefecture, Japan.
Sebastian Blanco
AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEERING
BOTH IMAGES: TOYOTA

Automotive Engineering - August 2024

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