The rumours are true; Mazda is to introduce a hybrid model using Toyota Prius technology.
Yesterday contradicting reports speculated on whether the Japanese car giant was to agree to licence its hybrid technology to its fellow Japanese brand (see our story). This morning the world’s largest carmaker announced that it has indeed agreed to let its smaller counterpart utilise its Prius technology.
Mazda intends to combine this hybrid system technology with its SKY1 engines, currently under development. The firm aims to develop and manufacture a hybrid vehicle in Japan and commence sales of a hybrid vehicle starting in its home country by 2013.
Toyota Motor Corporation has also announced that as part of its strategy to popularise eco-friendly vehicles, that it will consider licensing its hybrid system to other companies too, thus potentially leading other carmakers to make similar agreements with the car giant.
Based on its long-term vision for technology development, Sustainable Zoom-Zoom, Mazda aims to increase the average fuel economy of Mazda vehicles sold globally by 30 percent by 2015, compared to its 2008 level. Under this strategy, Mazda will enhance the core aspects of its vehicles — including engines, transmissions and weight reduction — and then progressively add electric devices such as idling stop, regenerative braking and hybrid systems.
The Prius was the world’s first mass-production hybrid vehicle, introduced way back in 1997. Since then, over 2.3 million Toyota-built hybrid vehicles have been delivered to customers in over 70 countries and regions.
Through this partnership, each company intends to offer technologies and products with ‘outstanding environmental benefits’ to as many people as possible, the firms said in a joint statement.
