The SKYACTIV-X Engine by Mazda Awarded for Engine Enhancements Breakthroughs
Mazda Motor Corporation has been awarded Gold at the Edison Awards for its breakthrough SKYACTIV-X compression-ignition engine.
SKYACTIV-X, a commercially available compression-ignition engine, took top honours in the Engine Enhancements category, competing against other technologies in automotive, heavy transportation and aerospace industries, amongst others.
“We are humbled that the Edison Awards steering committee and industry leaders selected Mazda’s SKYACTIV-X engine for a gold award. The company’s goal is to create a sustainable path forward, introducing cars and technologies that enrich people’s lives as well as society. This award means a great deal to the men and women who are building our future throughout Mazda Motor Corporation,” said Masashi Otsuka, VP of R&D and Design, Mazda North American Operations.
A part of the company’s forward-looking Sustainable Zoom-Zoom 2030 plan, SKYACTIV-X implements Spark Controlled Compression Ignition (SPCCI) to seamlessly transition between compression ignition and spark ignition.
Using a spark plug as a control mechanism, SKYACTIV-X is able to finely balance ignition timing and its air-to-fuel ratio, maximising fuel-efficiency. The net result combines the efficiency and torque of a diesel with the high-revving drivability and lower CO2 emissions of a gasoline engine.
The benefits of greater torque and responsiveness allow the company’s engineers to more closely space gear ratios for quicker acceleration without impacting efficiency, complementing its human-centric Jinba Ittai—”horse and rider as one”—driving dynamics. The company will introduce SKYACTIV-X in a production vehicle in 2019.
Originally established in 1987 by the American Marketing Association, but an independent organisation since 2008, the Edison Awards have recognised and honoured some of the most innovative products and business leaders in the world and is amongst the most prestigious accolades honouring excellence in new product and service development, marketing, design and innovation.
Mazda North American Operations is headquartered in Irvine, California, and oversees the sales, marketing, parts and customer service support of the company’s vehicles in the United States and Mexico through nearly 700 dealers.
The company celebrated the 50th anniversary of its rotary engine in 2017.
