Mazda is getting out of the internal combustion forever club and looking toward hybridization with new patents that could bring a new Mazda sports car.
One of the slowest brands to adopt electrification, Mazda has filed a series of patents that could offer an interesting and impressive hybrid powertrain in a future vehicle. Mazda is doing so much to protect its rights to these ideas that they have filed patents for nearly every aspect of the vehicles. We’re not sure whether this could be the future Miata or a bigger grand tourer car, but we should see a future Mazda performance machine utilizing some of these patented qualities.
Will there be a hybrid performance machine?
Mazda is no stranger to creating performance or being a leader in engine technology. Mazda continues to work on the rotary engine and is one of the few automakers that still consider this technology a viable solution for the future. The latest group of patents filed show a new engine layout with three hybrid electric motors to give this new car a lot more power. We’ve seen this before, but the details offered in these new patents take things much further, offering the build that could lead to something special.
If the next Mazda sports car is a result of these patents and new technology, it could have a pair of electric motors helping to drive the front wheels while a third electric motor is placed elsewhere. Some might think this third motor should be on the rear axle, but the patents show it is located between the engine and transmission to help send more power through the transmission to drive the rear wheels. Of course, this also means the longitudinal layout of the gas engine is situated to give us an RWD performance machine from Mazda. We sure hope this will become a reality.
How will power move from the electric motors to the wheels?
This latest round of Mazda patents shows the two front-axle electric motors could send power to the wheels via half-shafts. The third motor aids the rear wheels and the engine and could be used as a starter as well. This creates an interesting scenario and one that could eventually become useful across the automotive industry. No wonder Mazda was quick to patent the ideas and get the designs filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
Could we see a burst of power from this new car?
If we see a new Mazda sports car produced from the details in these patents, it’s likely the vehicle could have an advanced launch control system that provides short bursts of power to increase the performance during a drive. Mazda already states the electric horsepower of these patented features could be as much as 80 ponies. In addition to the added power coming from electric motors, the patent describes two underfloor battery packs that will provide up to 300 volts of energy. This power level is low for a full EV but ideal for a hybrid engine.
Where does the exhaust system go in this car?
This series of new patents filed offer underfloor battery packs, which means the exhaust system must be located elsewhere. The exhaust could fit in the rocker panels, but Mazda seems to favor routing this system down the center tunnel below the driveshaft. Could this work on a new low-slung Mazda sports car? It seems to be a much better location than placing the system directly under the batteries. As complete as these patents are, no mention of the gas engine size is made, which means we’re unsure which engine could find its way under the hood of this new Mazda.
Is Mazda taking electrification seriously?
Mazda created an electric SUV, the MX-30 EV, which is similar to stepping back a decade in EV development. This new Mazda EV offers only 100 miles of electric driving. This means Mazda hasn’t found a way to compete in the EV market, but this new hybrid powertrain patent series is a big change from the already antiquated MX-30. Unfortunately, filing patents and moving to production are two completely different things. We’re still hoping Mazda can find a way to utilize a rotary engine in the future, but we aren’t seeing this feature in any patent filing.
Could a new Mazda sports car be in the works? If these new patents signal a production model, we might see a new Miata or a larger GT car that could take on the track and offer some serious hybrid power and speed.
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