Mazda on Tuesday unveiled one more update to its electrification plans—culminating in what appears to be a more independent approach than the automaker has taken to date.
The 2025 Mazda CX-50 hybrid uses a Toyota-sourced hybrid system, and the EZ-6 electric sedan was developed in partnership with China’s Changan Automobile. But such partnerships could also be limited in the long run, Mazda CEO Masahiro Moro and other executives indicated in a presentation held Tuesday in Tokyo.
Mazda is moving ahead with plans, first discussed last November, to launch an in-house developed hybrid system within the CX-5 crossover, in addition to an all-electric crossover SUV based a dedicated platform also developed in-house, in 2027. That platform will accommodate “diverse varieties of batteries,” a Mazda press release said.
2025 Mazda EZ-6
A next-generation combustion engines, dubbed Skyactiv-Z, geared toward meeting the most recent global emissions standards, can be a part of the plan. One in every of these engines, likely an inline-4, as a result of packaging requirements, shall be the combustion component for the CX-5 hybrid powertrain. But Mazda said an inline-6 for larger vehicles shall be a part of the Skyactiv-Z family as well, and that the underlying tech shall be utilized in continuing rotary-engine development.
Mazda also said that, for the EV it plans to launch in 2027, it goals to “reduce development investment by 40% and development man-hours by 50% compared to traditional development through collaboration and partnership.” No specific partner was named though, indicated that Mazda could lean on suppliers moderately than pursuing one other partnership just like the ones with Toyota and Changan.
Mazda dedicated EV platform spawning first model in 2027
Going it alone would give Mazda more flexibility to pursue streamlined manufacturing plans, which include producing EVs and internal-combustion vehicles on the identical assembly lines. That would reduce initial capital investment by 85% and the time to mass production by 80% in comparison with constructing recent EV assembly plants, Mazda estimates. The automaker does plan to construct a brand new EV battery factory in Japan, nonetheless.
If this goes well, it could play out like Honda sees it, with the EVs informing higher internal-combustion models. But Mazda definitely has more limited resources to work with.
This Article First Appeared At www.greencarreports.com
