2008 Mazda 3 Mazdaspeed Hatchback 4-door 2.3l on 2040-cars

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Recharge Wrap-up: Mazda, Subaru and Toyota PHEV, Nomadic Power grant

The next generation of the Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid looks to be important for Mazda and Subaru as well. Toyota will likely need to sell more of the new plug-in hybrid to meet stricter ZEV standards in California. That means it will get more extra electric range, as customers have been asking for. Subaru and Mazda will also have to adhere to the California standards beginning in 2018. Those two smaller automakers will likely license a plug-in hybrid powertrain from Toyota in order to fulfill compliance. Read more at Green Car Reports. Tesla is partnering with Dalhousie University to improve battery technology. Tesla signed a five-year research agreement with Dalhousie's Jeff Dahn, a lithium-ion battery researcher. Dahn and the 25 researchers in his lab will work with Tesla's Director of Battery Technology, Kurt Kelty, to increase capacity through improved materials. The collaboration could be important both for Tesla's automotive and stationary batteries. "Our research group's goal is to increase the energy density and lifetime of Li-ion batteries, so we can drive down costs in automotive and grid energy storage applications," says Dahn. Read more from Dalhousie University. Nomadic Power is receiving a European Commission grant worth ˆ2 million (about $2.26 million) for trailer-mounted mobile batteries. Nomadic Power's mobile batteries, called Nomads, have incorporated photovoltaic systems and can be used to extend the electric driving range of a plug-in vehicle, or to provide backup power to a home. The Nomads use an intelligent energy management system to learn and predict user behavior and manage the solar system based on weather forecasts. "We see a strong future in electric-powered mobility and an increasing use of renewable energy, photovoltaic power in particular," says Nomadic Power CEO Dr. Manfred Baumgaertner. "Our mobile batteries have great potential in these markets that recently got a significant shot in the arm by Tesla's announcements." Read more from Nomadic Power, and at Green Car Congress. Related Gallery 2012 Toyota Prius Plug-In: First Drive View 24 Photos News Source: Green Car Reports, Dalhousie University, Green Car Congress, Nomadic PowerImage Credit: Nomadic Power Government/Legal Green Mazda Subaru Tesla Toyota Technology Electric recharge wrapup

Mazda recalls 374,500 vehicles because of Takata inflators

The Basics: Mazda will recall 374,519 examples of the 2003-2008 Mazda6 manufactured from May 29, 2002, to May 5, 2008; the 2006-2007 Mazdaspeed6 built from July 1, 2005, to June 29, 2007; and the 2004 RX-8 made from June 25, 2003, to June 30, 2003. The Problem: These vehicles contain front passenger airbag inflators from Takata that could rupture in a crash. If this happens, it could spray metal shrapnel at an occupant, which could seriously injure or even kill the person. Injuries/Deaths: The report from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration didn't mention injuries or deaths, but Autoblog reached out to Mazda for confirmation. Takata's rupturing inflators allegedly have links to nine deaths globally and around 100 injuries. The Fix: Mazda dealers will replace the passenger side airbag with a new one. If You Own One: Mazda has not said when the replacements for these vehicles will begin. Experts believe that prolonged exposure to high humidity can cause the inflators' ammonium nitrate propellant to ignite too quickly in an accident. More Information: This recall is a nationwide expansion of Mazda's passenger's side airbag recall, which was previously limited to high-humidity regions. The population now includes 310,592 additional examples of the Mazda6, Mazda spokesperson Tamara Mlynarczyk tells Autoblog. The company discovered this new issue after Takata tested an inflator taken from a Mazda6, and it ruptured, according to NHTSA documents (PDF). The company already had a national safety campaign to fix the driver's side airbags in these vehicles. Related Video: RECALL Subject : Passenger Air Bag Inflator May Rupture Report Receipt Date: DEC 23, 2015 NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V869000 Component(s): AIR BAGS Potential Number of Units Affected: 374,519 All Products Associated with this Recall Vehicle Make Model Model Year(s) MAZDA MAZDA6 2003-2008 MAZDA MAZDASPEED6 2006-2007 MAZDA RX-8 2004 Details close Manufacturer: Mazda North American Operations SUMMARY: Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain model year 2003-2008 Mazda6 vehicles manufactured May 29, 2002, to May 5, 2008, 2006-2007 Mazdaspeed6 vehicles manufactured July 1, 2005, to June 29, 2007, and a limited production of model year 2004 RX-8 vehicles manufactured June 25, 2003, to June 30, 2003. The inflators in the front passenger air bags are susceptible to rupture in the event of a crash necessitating the deployment of the front passenger air bag.

2016 Mazda2 won't come to the US

Hoping to get your hands on the new Mazda2? Don't get your hopes up too high, because the latest word has it that the new hatchback won't be available in the United States. According to the report from Automotive News, Mazda's US office has decided against bringing the new Mazda2 to American showrooms. This despite it being made just south of the border in Salamanca, Mexico. The reasons are apparently two-fold. For starters, Mazda sales offices around the world have been clamoring for larger allotments of the new 2, and the company can only supply so many. "We could have had it, but we would have had a number that didn't make much sense with 600 dealers and with the marketing it takes to launch a new car," Robert Davis, Mazda's senior VP of US sales operations, told AN. For another, Mazda is apparently not convinced the new supermini would resonate with US buyers, who are increasingly migrating towards crossovers. So Mazda is focusing instead on "products that make us and our dealers considerably more profit than a Mazda2 does." That doesn't mean the latest Mazda2 will be entirely out of our reach forever, though. The company's agreement with Toyota will see a sedan version sold in the US as the Scion iA. Mazda is also certifying it to US safety and environmental standards so that it can sell the 2 in Puerto Rico, which means that it wouldn't take much to change course and bring the hatchback into the US in the future: "It'll always be there if we need it," Davis told AN. Reached for comment, a spokesman for Mazda's North American operations told Autoblog that "The Mazda2 launch in the U.S. market is on hold in order to evaluate the B-Car segment and enable us the opportunity to focus on the launches of the refreshed Mazda6 and CX-5, and the all-new MX-5 roadster and CX-3 subcompact crossover SUV." That leaves the aforementioned CX-3 - which is, incidentally, based on the same architecture as the Mazda2 - as the smallest mainstream model that Mazda will offer Stateside.