Great Scott! Mazda introduces i-ELOOP, world’s first capacitor-based regenerative braking system for passenger cars

At the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show, Mazda will debut the new Takeri Concept, which previews the next-generation Mazda6 sedan. The concept will also debut the world’s first passenger vehicle regenerative braking system that uses a capacitor.

Known as the i-ELOOP, the system will start appearing in Mazda’s vehicles in 2012 – the company says that in real-world driving, with frequent stop and go, the i-ELOOP improves fuel-economy by approximately 10 percent.

“Mazda’s regenerative braking system is unique because it uses a capacitor, which is an electrical component that temporarily stores large volumes of electricity,” Mazda said in a statement. “Compared to batteries, capacitors can be charged and discharged rapidly and are resistant to deterioration through prolonged use. ‘i-ELOOP’ efficiently converts the vehicle’s kinetic energy into electricity as it decelerates, and uses the electricity to power the climate control, audio system and numerous other electrical components.”

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The i-ELOOP system consists of a 12-25V variable voltage alternator, a low-resistance electric double layer capacitor and a DC/DC converter.

By the way, ‘i-ELOOP’ stands for “Intelligent Energy Loop”

– By: Omar Rana