Mazda Demonstrates Onboard CO2 Capture System, Achieves 804 Grams in 24-Hour Race
Mazda successfully demonstrated its onboard CO2 capture system during a 24-hour race, capturing 804 grams of CO2—nearly ten times the previous result.
- 804 g
- 9.6x
- 2035
What Happened
Mazda tested its 'Mazda Mobile Carbon Capture' system on a race car during Round 3 of the Super Taikyu Series 2026. The car ran on hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO), a carbon-neutral fuel. The system uses zeolite to adsorb CO2, then desorbs it using exhaust heat and compresses it into a tank. Over the 24-hour race, the system captured 804 grams of CO2, a significant improvement over the 84 grams captured in a previous test in November 2025.
804grams
Up from 84 grams in the previous test, a 9.6x increase.
- 84 grams captured, adsorption only
- 804 grams captured, adsorption + desorption + storage
First demonstration of onboard CO2 capture system; 84 grams captured.
Second demonstration adds desorption and storage; 804 grams captured.
Mazda aims to achieve short-term carbon negativity in racing car at Round 7.
Why this matters
This test shows progress toward carbon-negative driving, where vehicles remove more CO2 than they emit, potentially making internal combustion engines cleaner over time.
Terms in This Story
- zeolite
- A porous mineral that can adsorb molecules like carbon dioxide.
- HVO
- Hydrotreated vegetable oil, a renewable diesel fuel made from vegetable oils or animal fats.
- carbon-negative
- A state where more carbon dioxide is removed from the atmosphere than is emitted.
- Super Taikyu Series
- A Japanese endurance racing series for production-based vehicles.
Summarised from the linked release; details can be imperfect — always verify against the original source.