Mazda has confirmed that while it's working on a next-generation of all-electric vehicles, starting with the gorgeous new Mazda 6e saloon, there will also be a new generation of petrol hybrids for its cars.
Is this a sign that Mazda's not keen on EV?
Kind of. Rather like Toyota, Mazda hasn't been fully enamoured of the rush towards fully electric cars and instead is keen to offer a full sweep of power options, from electric to plug-in hybrid to hybrid and eventually maybe even hydrogen power.
So, at a briefing session held in Tokyo, Mazda's President and CEO Masahiro Moro confirmed that the company will actually be reducing its investment in electric tech from 2 trillion Yen to around 1.5 trillion Yen. However, this isn't Mazda retreating from electric cars; rather, it's the company trying to make smarter investments in tech that will work instead of trying to cover every base.
What kind of smarter investments?
Moro's plan is that by utilising existing assets and forming strong partnerships, Mazda aims to maintain quality and maximise expertise while reducing costs in areas such as electric architecture, hybrid systems, and battery and thermal management. This has already been successfully demonstrated through the partnership with Changan Automobile and other technology partners like Toyota, Denso, and BluE Nexus.
Moro was also flagging up Mazda's new programme called 'Monozukuri Innovation 2.0', which, in theory, will allow the carmaker to speed up its development process, as well as allow it to make cars more efficiently and at better costs both to itself and the consumer. “As the automotive industry is going through a once-in-a-century seismic shift, Mazda keeps on evolving by updating our “joy of driving” for the next generation of vehicles. All of us at Mazda are committed to striking the right balance of efficient business management and development of sustainable technology to deliver unique value regardless of business scale” said Moro.
What about the new engines?
All of this planning revolves around three key technologies, one of which is the new hybrid family of SkyActiv-Z petrol engines, which will make a production debut in 2027 in the all-new CX-5 SUV. This family of engines is supposed to meet the stringent Euro7 emissions regulations, and is designed around the idea of 'Lambda 1', or keeping an ideal fuel-air mixture at all parts of the engine's power band, maximising efficiency and minimising emissions.
Then, there's the investment in all-EV tech, as the new Mazda 6e electric saloon (made in co-operation with China's Changang Auto) will be followed by a new all-electric SUV, set to be introduced by 2027. This car will feature an all-new, more efficient battery pack designed in collaboration with Panasonic.
Finally, there's the 'Monozukuri Innovation' plan, which will see Mazda incorporate electric cars into existing production lines, which will reduce the need for investment and which will use new technology such as autonomous guided vehicles in the factory, reducing the need to heavy-industrial production line equipment.