Mazda hasn't been the most active company when it comes to electrification. The Japanese automaker has elaborated plans in the EV segments, but it has moved very cautiously up to now.
Now, with the current resurgence of interest in hybrid models, Mazda finds itself in a more interesting position than 12 or 24 months ago.
Simply put, the company believes American consumers mainly want gasoline-powered vehicles. Mazda CEO Masahiro Moro told Automotive News that the combustion engine has a prolonged future in America. Even at the end of the decade, traditional gasoline-powered cars and hybrid models will account for around two-thirds of annual sales, Mazda believes. The remaining third will be plug-in hybrids and all-electric vehicles.
In other words, most vehicles will still be powered by gas engines in five years' time, in Mazda's estimation.
“Customers are looking for affordable solutions rather than electrified solutions. They are looking for better value. They are still looking for a reliable internal combustion engine. But we will be capable of making everything some version of electrified, including mild hybrid. Looking at US customers, they are looking for better, reliable engines.”
- Masahiro Moro, Mazda CEO
Moro is thinking especially of entry-level models, in particular the Mazda 3 and the CX-30 SUV. He notes that growth of electric vehicle sales in the U.S. has slowed over the last 18 months, and he believes this trend is likely to continue for the foreseeable future.
This gives Mazda more time to develop a lithium-ion battery in-house. The aim is to have it ready by 2030 for plug-in hybrids and pure electric models. Expect much higher energy density and “very short” recharging times. Better still, engineers are already benefiting from advanced research into solid-state batteries, the technology that will be the next revolution in the electric segment.
Mazda could be in a strong position in a few years' time.
On a global scale, the Japanese manufacturer anticipates that its all-electric vehicles will account for only 25 to 40 percent of total deliveries by the end of the decade. The full-scale rollout of its planned electric models (including the EZ-6 sedan, which we likely won’t see here) won't begin until 2028.
Until then, the company is working on a rotary gasoline engine that will serve as a generator for an electrified model. The company is a firm believer in this approach.
For the moment, things are going rather well for the company in North America. The company is on track to deliver 420,000 vehicles in the United States, which would be its best year ever. It expects its haul to climb to 450,000 deliveries in 2025.
In Canada, as of November 30, Mazda sold 67,660 units this year, or 24.9 percent more than at the same date last year, when it had moved 54,176 vehicles.
