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Thread: REPORT: Mazda looking to raise $1.1B to catch up in hybrid race

  1. #1
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    Default REPORT: Mazda looking to raise $1.1B to catch up in hybrid race

    Filed under: Hybrid, Technology, Mazda, Earnings/Financials, Alternative Fuel, Diesel


    2009 Mazda Tribute - Click above for high-res image gallery

    According to a report from Reuters, Mazda plans to raise up to $1.1 billion (95.9 billion yen) by issuing 315.2 million new shares and selling 96.8 million treasury shares. The resulting funds are to be reinvested in the company, mainly for research and development into hybrids and other eco-friendly technologies.

    So far, Mazda's only hybrid has been a version of its Tribute crossover utility vehicle, which was in reality little more than a badge-engineered version of the Ford Escape Hybrid. Last year, Ford reduced its stake in Mazda to 13.8 percent, meaning that the Japanese automaker will longer be able to rely on the Blue Oval for gas-electric expertise, so it needed to make its own independent investment into new technologies.

    Back in April, Mazda announced plans to boost the fuel efficiency of its fleet of cars and trucks by 30%, and that laudable effort will begin in 2011 with a new fuel efficient version of its bread-and-butter 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine and six-speed automatic transmission. Well, now we know how all this newfangled Sustainable Zoom Zoom stuff will be paid for.


    Gallery: Mazda Tribute Hybrid SUV



    [Source: Reuters]REPORT: Mazda looking to raise $1.1B to catch up in hybrid race originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 05 Oct 2009 16:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.



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  2. #2

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    eco friendly makes hoons cry.

  3. #3

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    Quote Originally Posted by MaN|aC View Post
    eco friendly makes hoons cry.
    yeap ... coz hybrid is too slow lol

  4. #4

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    Electric is better than hybrid

    Happy Motoring
    duglet

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    Quote Originally Posted by duglet View Post
    Electric is better than hybrid

    Happy Motoring
    duglet
    No it's not really. Electric has sh*t range, long recharge times and we are a long way from properly lightweight batteries that can store the necessary charge and be charged in a sane timeframe. 200K range and 24hr charge time to get that? No thankyou.

    Prius is a totally false economy, with a bigger carbon footprint when new than a land cruiser with 200,000K on the clock.

    COME ON PEOPLE! Since when previously in history did the domestic market lead the way in new technologies? NEVER.

    We are fooling ourselves thinking that by foisting eco frauds like the prius on the domestic public will help the world envioronmentally. We are encouraging people to delude themselves that they are doing something by buying a prius or similar, when in actual fact the numbers show they are actually making it worse.

    While people are deluded into thinking they are making a difference by choosing a hybrid, nobody stops to ask the question :

    WHY, for the first time in history, is the domestic market expected to lead the way. Domestic market is 10% of the issue.

    MANUFACTURING IS 80% of the issue - aptly underlined by the obscene carbon footprint of a new prius.

    By encouraging people to believe they are making a difference with a prius purchase, not only are we actually adding MORE pollution than otherwise, but having been convinced something is being done, the manufacturers get a free ticket to pollute.

    This is a similar con game the developed nations tried to foist off on the 3rd world countries at Copenhagen and the poorer nations told the developed nations to get ****ed we aren't going to subsidize your carbon pollution so you can pretend that you are doing something while you actually make it worse.

    We should be demanding the INDUSTRIAL/MILITARY sectors lead the way in creating these new technologies, as it is in fact the industrial/military sectors where the vast majority of the carbon pollution is created.

    By addressing the domestic market and not the industrial ones, we actually take two steps backward for every step forward - carbon footprint of a prius case in point.

    Anyway, off the soapbox before I say something people are offended by. Hey someone prob wants to shoot me down already for thoughts crimes against the religion of climate change.

    Having said that - I can think of ways to use hybrid tech in the existing mazda product range. Perhaps I should pitch it to mazda.

    And I would happily buy a hybrid that doesn't cost any more in terms of pollution to manufacture.

    But one that has already produced as much pollution as manufacturing a land cruiser and driving it for 200,000K before I even start it for the first time? That's insane. That's not economy of any kind. That's an illusion and a delusion.

    And there is only one fix for that - solve the manufacturing carbon footprint FIRST. Do that and cars like the prius begin to have some real enviro cred, not just a fantasy delusion of economy.

  6. #6

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    I wouldnt say we are that far off...

    Big things have happened in the last year with electric cars.

    GM bringing out the Volt has shown that electric cars can work.

    Also...90% of ppl in brisbane alone would not do more than 50kms in a day.

    Faster recharge times (3hrs) and longer milage has been achieved.

    Batteries are now being placed in front and rear of cars to give 50/50 balance.

    Also...torque is instant XxXNm@0rpm

    Telsa has also proven that you can have an electric sports car that is fast and sexy...and beat most supercars with V8, V10 and V12 engines.

    Mitsubishi was the first motor company to release an all electric vehicle in Australia

    The new i MiEV can be recharged in 7hrs via 240V or quick charge takes 30 mins to recover 80% battery life.

    Range of 150km to 200km depending on braking regeneration charge.

    Anyways....im a fan of electric cars.

    We will have to give up the fossil fuels soon...and hybrids will be useless.

    So lets jump a step and skip hybrids.

    Happy Motoring
    duglet

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    Quote Originally Posted by duglet View Post
    Also...90% of ppl in brisbane alone would not do more than 50kms in a day.

    And how much does people spent stuck in traffic?

    Quote Originally Posted by duglet View Post
    Telsa has also proven that you can have an electric sports car that is fast and sexy...and beat most supercars with V8, V10 and V12 engines.
    Are they cheap?
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  8. #8

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    Hybrid = Fail....Electric is where its at ...! Electric motorbikes is where we should be aiming imo!

  9. #9

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    Cars should run on garbage like in 'back to the future'.

  10. #10
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    Electric is a stupid idea and again like nexus describes hybrid, false economy.

    Think about it
    What goes into making the batteries and where do we get the products used?
    How bad are the emissions made in producing the batteries?
    How many emissions are produced in the production of the electricity at power stations?

    Every summer complete power grids in large cities are overloaded when it gets hot and everyone turns on their air conditioning.
    What do you think will happen when everyone gets home from work and charges their cars?
    The answer to that would be more power stations, but that will only produce more emissions.
    The answer to that would be nuclear. But the enviroMENTALists would never allow that. And besides, we still need huge fossil fuel burning machinery to extract the uranium.
    And if you think electric powerd cars would be cheaper to run, what do you think the power companies would do?
    Huge demand for electricity, naturally they will get greedy and bump the price up. So now our cost of living would go through the roof. Just think of how much our power bill would rise.

    Ethanol, also bad idea, small blends are ok, but 85% isn't.
    How would we ever produce enough crops to produce enough to meet the demand?
    And again greed will come into it, supply and demand, crop prices will go up, so the price of food will go crazy.
    We are in drought, crops won't be produced so fuel will be in shot supply, and again, supply and demant, up goes the price of fuel.
    Currently ethanol is not taxed, so when the government ads their excise to blended fuels, it will no longer be cheap

    The only realistic option is to improve efficiency, better fuel ecanomy.
    Which mazda has planned to do by reducing weight.
    Problem is, the more manufactures improve fuel efficiency, we ask for more features and more performance, which cancels out their improvements.

    End rant

    ---------- Post added at 10:13 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:06 PM ----------

    Just a bit of history for you Doug, fully electric cars had been sold in Australia before Mitsubishi even existed. 1917 was their first car (rebadged FIAT) first proper car was 1959

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