Then you get the various combinations of hybrids or flex fuels: E85 flex fuels, different types of hybrid engines with varying types of electric/gasoline motor combinations. All this new technology and a new arrival has arrived to join the melee: hydrogen gasoline hybrids.
Mazda’s rotary engine isn’t known for its fuel efficiency, so they want to add a hydrogen-gasoline powertrain that will offer 20 percent better fuel economy and emissions over the traditional gasoline powered Rotary. The driver will be able to toggle between hydrogen and gasoline fuel systems, with gas for freeways, and hydrogen for city driving.
Most likely the RX-9 will be the receptacle of this new technology—more or less an evolution from Mazda’s RX-8 Hydrogen RE vehicle and is expected to arrive in 2012.
Mazda is trying to boost the economy and emissions of the RX series up to the level of gas and electric hybrids, so they’re forcing a sports car into a hybrid concept instead of taking a hybrid and raising it to the level of a sports car. More to the point, there is no infrastructure to support hydrogen gasoline hybrids.
via CARtoday