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WAVE 2015: Metron 7 sets new record of 513 miles on one charge

Sometimes you just gotta push harder, faster, longer. Last fall, the Metron Institute team from Slovenia took their converted all-electric Mazda5 minivan on an impressive 457-mile journey from Bled (in Sloveniva) to Dubrovnik (in Croatia) without stopping to recharge at an average speed of 40 miles an hour. Today, as part of the WAVE Trophy 2015, the Metron 7 EV just finished up a drive of 826.1 kilometers (513.3 miles) on a single charge. The drive started in Berlin and ended in Karlsruhe, Germany. As you might suspect, a drive of this length on normal roads required a big battery pack. The total pack capacity was 108 kWh, thanks to the combination of the built-in 86-kWh pack that uses lithium polymer cells from Kokam and a 130-pound, 22-kWh external pack that Metron has developed that can charge the built-in pack while driving. The average speed of the 500-mile journey was 45 miles per hour (72 kilometers per hour) through rural countryside, towns, and some time on the highway. The drivers –Andrej and Jasna Pecjak – did not use air conditioning, but the fans were running. The weather was temperate enough that AC wasn't needed anyway these last two days. The Metron 7 was a part of the last two WAVE events and has been updated since the last record was set in October 2014. On the new record journey, the minivan was loaded up with gear, but the Metron engineers made improvements to the car in the last eight months: the side mirrors are smaller and they fitted a better aerodynamic cover underneath the vehicle, for example. Andrej said that the cost for the batteries was around $50,000, since some of the cells he got were used. Today's record is unofficial, but AutoblogGreen witnessed both the sealing of the charge port in Berlin and was in the car for the last 125 kilometers today. Featured Gallery WAVE 2015: Metron 7 EV Distance Record Green Mazda AutoblogGreen Exclusive Fuel Efficiency Green Culture Electric mazda mazda5 mazda5

Mazda builds 4-millionth Mazda3

To say that the Mazda3 is a vital product for Mazda would be one heck of an understatement. In fact, the model line accounts for about 30 percent of the manufacturer's sales. Fortunately for Mazda, they're selling well.
These days, the Japanese automaker is building the Mazda3 (known domestically as the Axela) in Japan, China, Thailand and, as of last month, in Mexico. The company's expanded global production capacity has helped Mazda reach four million units of the Mazda3 sold around the world since the first model was introduced over ten and a half years ago.
Over the course of that decade since its introduction in June 2003, Mazda has gone through three generations of Mazda3, the newest model benefiting from the company's Skyactiv technology and even encompassing a hybrid model in the Japanese Domestic Market.

2014 Mazda6: June 2013

The 2014 Mazda6 is our most recent addition to the Autoblog long-term fleet, and we spent the month of June getting to know our Soul Red tester, generally enjoying the honeymoon phase of this twelve-month relationship. During June, the Mazda6 spent the majority of its time with director of photography Drew Phillips, who in addition to putting together this pretty gallery of our rakish long-term car, had a lot to say about it as a daily driver.
You see, not too long before Mazda delivered our long-term 6, Drew bought a 2014 CX-5 crossover to support his growing family. The CX-5 was the first vehicle to use Mazda's full suite of Skyactiv technologies, and we've generally enjoyed the good-to-drive CUV. A lot of that CX-5 goodness lies beneath the more shapely lines of this sleek Mazda6 sedan, so it's only fitting that Drew had a lot of comparisons between Mazda's two housemates during his month behind the wheel.