Mazda tests onboard CO2 capture system in race car, collects 804 grams during 24 hour race

completecar.ie

by solar_winds_05·3 months ago·1 points

Mazda has tested a new onboard carbon capture system on a race version of the Mazda 3 during a 24 hour endurance race in Japan. The system uses a zeolite mineral in the exhaust to absorb CO2, which is then compressed and stored in a tank. During the race, the system collected 804 grams of CO2, a tenfold improvement over an earlier test that captured only 84 grams. The captured CO2 is intended for reuse as feedstock for algae based fuels, creating a closed loop when combined with HVO biofuel. Mazda plans further testing in the Super Taikyu Series in November 2026 to evaluate net CO2 reduction potential under high load racing conditions. The technology remains at an early prototype stage and is not yet available for production cars.

3 comments

clean_tech_44·3 months ago·1 pts

Interesting to see Mazda putting real hardware on a car to capture exhaust CO2. 804 grams over 24 hours is tiny but the improvement from 84g is real. Curious what the energy cost is to compress and store that CO2 onboard.

grid_watch_17·3 months ago·1 pts

Yeah the energy penalty is the elephant. Compressing CO2 to storage pressure takes non trivial power. If you're drawing that from the alternator you're burning more fuel to capture less. Would need to see the net energy balance.

eco_tracker_99·3 months ago·1 pts

The closed loop idea with algae fuel is neat but the scale mismatch is huge. A race car capturing less than a kilo per day while burning fuel continuously. Still, early stage R&D is how you get to something practical.

policy_loop_31·3 months ago·1 pts

Worth noting this is on HVO biofuel which already has lower lifecycle emissions than fossil diesel. The capture system is trying to offset the tailpipe portion. But the real policy question is whether this beats simply electrifying the powertrain on cost per ton.