Homogeneous Charge Compression Ignition, HCCI, has been a goal of many automakers for several years. The reason? It’s a kind of thermodynamics holy grail in the auto industry. Using the heat of compression to ignite the fuel/air mixture allows for a much leaner mix, which translates to a big bump up in fuel economy, similar to diesel. But, unlike the oil-burners, HCCI avoids the emissions penalty. To put it another way, HCCI goes a long way to reduce a car’s carbon footprint, all without adding a bunch of other gnarly chemicals into the air.

We’ve already written about this:

Mazda engineered their way to a solution that’s very similar to HCCI, which they call Spark Controlled Compression Igntion (SPCCI). As opposed to using a spark plug to ignite the mixutre, Mazda’s SkyActiv-X uses the spark to initiate compression ignition. The difference comes from how quickly and completely the mixture combusts. Effectively, it’s homegeneous combustion, which is what brings all the aforementioned benefits.

This all means is that the future of the internal combustion engine just got a little longer, at least for Mazda. Watch the video above to get a better visual understanding of how.

Here’s how Mazda’s new HCCI engine works

Mazda calls it “Sustainable Zoom-Zoom 2030.” Jason Fenske, the man behind (and in front of the camera for) Engineering Explained calls that silly, but the technology most certainly is …

Robin Warner


– Robin Warner is Editorial Manager at Autoweek. He once tried and failed to become a professional race car driver, but succeeded in learning about debt management and having a story to tell. A former engineer, Warner loves cars for their technology and capability.

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