Mazda i-ELOOP system

Mazda has pushed the boundaries towards the next generation of fuel efficient technology in cars with their SKYACTIV technology. Now they have come up with yet another technology that further increases fuel efficiency of their cars. Mazda calls it i-ELOOP, the system essentially uses a capacitor to covert the vehicle’s kinetic energy while braking into electricity. The electricity is then used to power the air-conditioning unit and various other electrical components in the car.

Like in a normal car power from the engine in a Mazda car is used to power various electrical components and recharge the battery as the car goes along. However, the i-ELOOP system will power the various electrical components and the air-conditioning unit in a Mazda while braking as a result power from the engine will not be needed at that time to run electrical components. As a result fuel economy will rise.

i-ELOOP stands for ‘Intelligent Energy Loop’. The system uses a new type of capacitor that can store large amounts of electricity and unlike batteries it can be charged and discharged instantly without deteriorating its life span.

So, you might say that regenerative braking systems exist on other cars as well. What makes Mazda’s system better is that other cars use an electric motor and an alternator to generate electricity as the car decelerates. More components add more weight to a car, as a result overall economy falls, which is why Mazda’s simple regenerative braking system is superior to other systems currently in use.

The i-ELOOP system uses a variable voltage (12V-25V) alternator, a low resistance Electric Double Layer Capacitor (EDLC) and a DC/DC converter. The moment the driver takes his foot off the accelerator pedal the i-ELOOP alternator generates up to 25V of electricity and sends it to the EDLC for storage. The DC/DC converter then steps down the electricity from 25V to 12V and distributes it directly to various electrical components. The i-ELOOP extends the time a vehicle’s engine can be shut off by keeping the air-conditioning running.

Mazda has shown with their SKYACTIV technology as well as their i-stop and i-ELOOP technologies that economical vehicles can be fun to drive too. Mazda is affirmative that their cars will remain fun to drive despite being made more economical. Other car makers should take a leaf out of Mazda’s book while developing the next generation of vehicles.