Mazda Teams with Toyota For Hybrid Powertrain

Mazda Motor Corp. has agreed to lease a hybrid drivetrain technology from Toyota Motor Corp. The deal gives Mazda access to the electric powertrain system used in the third-generation Toyota Prius. Mazda Executive Vice President Masaharu Yamaki said the electric-gasoline powertrain will debut in 2013 in a Mazda-brand hybrid for the Japanese market. Mazda didn’t announce plans for overseas versions, but a spokesman said selling the car in North America is a possibility.

The agreement helps Mazda meet its goal of improving fleet fuel economy 30 percent by 2015 compared with 2008 levels. Mazda already has rolled out plans for a more efficient gasoline engine, called the Sky-G, and measures such as weight reduction and idle stop technology. For Toyota, the deal also pushes its hybrid technology closer to becoming a global standard. Leasing it to other companies is not only a cash stream for the world’s biggest auto company, it’s also a potent way to guarantee volume for its suppliers, which drives down cost.

Teaming with Toyota signals another Mazda break from Ford, which reduced its stake in the Japanese automaker to 13 percent, from 33 percent in 2008. Since then, Ford and Mazda have embarked on largely separate powertrain strategies. While Ford is chasing greater fuel economy with its turbocharged EcoBoost engines, Mazda is developing its own line of Sky engines, which rely mostly on direct fuel injection.

The four-cylinder, direct-injection Sky-G gasoline engine will range between 1.3 and 2.0 liters and deliver 15 percent better fuel economy than current engines in the same class. Its diesel partner, the Sky-D, will get a 20 percent increase over today’s offerings.