Through new engine technology and lighter materials Mazda says it plans to increase the fuel efficiency of its vehicles by 30 percent over the next seven years, sportscarsfans.com reports.

The company says that by 2015, its vehicles will roll off the assembly line 220 pounds lighter than those it produces today, partly due to carbon neutral bioplastics due to arrive in 2013.

A new proprietary Smart Idle Stop System that should improve fuel economy by seven- to eight-percent will also contribute to the energy savings of its cars in Europe beginning in 2009, the company says.

Beginning in 2011, Mazda says it plans to introduce new diesel engines with NOx reduction technology worldwide that meet the most stringent emissions standards and will increase fuel economy.

In FY2007, Mazda says it reduced the volume of CO2 emissions from production activities in Japan by 15.4 percent compared to FY1990 levels

The company also says it will continue to focus on hydrogen combustion vehicles as a mainstay emissions-free car, believing the technology has advantages over the fuel-cell vehicles being developed by rival car makers, CNN reports. The company has begun testing a hydrogen/petrol hybrid vehicle on public roads, according to vnunet.

Other automobile manufacturers are taking steps to increase the efficiency of their products. Toyota is including vehicle size and weight adjustments in its drive toward sustainable mobility. Ford recently decided to release its plans to reduce GHG emissions.