Mazda to mass produce hydrogen vehicles within five years

Mazda's Premacy RX8 and Mazda5 are already testing on the road in limited numbers.

(Credit: Mazda)

Usually when we hear about hydrogen as a fuel, it's actually being used to generate electricity for an electric motor. It's no secret that Mazda's been developing a hydrogen powered version of its Renesis rotary engine for years, but now the automaker says that it will soon be mass-producing hydrogen powered vehicles. The rotary engine's unique design actually makes it well suited for using hydrogen as a combustible fuel.

In an interview with U.K. magazine Autocar, James Muir, Mazda Europe's CEO said that the company "will do the hydrogen rotary engine, but it won't be in production for at least five years."

Mazda's already built working hydrogen powered RX8s and Mazda5s, so we can see how that number could be realistic. With electric cars making huge strides and the hydrogen distribution infrastructure still lacking, it may be too little too late for Mazda's hydrogen rotaries by the time they reach the market.

Autocar's article also speculates about the potential for a hydrogen powered RX7 sports coupe revival. Lightweight? Fast? Green? Sign us up!