Mazda shows off exhaust system which will suck up its own emissions

Along with teasing the world with another modern rotary-powered sports coupe, Mazda used its time at the Japan Mobility Show to show off an impressive new exhaust system, designed to reduce carbon emissions. 

Dubbed the ‘Mobile Carbon Capture’ system, this fancy exhaust fitting is claimed to suck back up to 20 per cent of a car’s carbon emissions.

To achieve these reductions, the internal combustion engine has to be running on a particular type of biofuel, one that’s made from Nannochloropsis. This is a microalgae that can absorb CO₂ through photosynthesis. 

In standard form this plant-based biofuel is said to reduce emissions by around 90 per cent over a regular gasoline-burning engine. 

When paired with the fancy exhaust system, Mazda engineers predict that this combination would actually run at an emissions loss, sucking up negative 10 per cent of the emissions that the engine would be producing. 

Putting it in simpler terms, Mazda says; “the more you drive, the less CO₂ you emit.”

As is the case with many alternative forms of fuel, scaling production is one of the biggest issues faced by Mazda in regards to this biofuel. According to the brand, it currently takes around two weeks to render one litre of fuel from a 1000 litre culture tank.