The least we can say is that Mazda has not rushed into the transition to electric. With a little delay in ignition, the Japanese manufacturer plans to release a first model. And the company has just said more about this.
Mazda wants to go all out on electric
Mazda therefore intends to build a brand new module factory in Japan to produce its batteries. For the occasion, it will rely on battery cells from Panasonic Energy. The idea is to have 10 GWh of annual capacity.
As for this first model, it will also be built on the lands of the Japanese manufacturer with a first launch in 2027. As explained on the site ElectrekMazda plans three phases to go electric by 2030. First, it will rely on its existing technologies, then, in a second phase, it will introduce a new hybrid system and electric vehicles running in China.
Finally, and in a third phase, it will fully launch its electric cars and its own battery production. The manufacturer is thinking big and hopes that global sales of its green vehicles will represent between 25 and 40% of the total.
Remember that Mazda already markets an electric model in China, the EZ-6, a sedan. However, the latter is designed in partnership with the local Changan group. It retails for $19,200 and offers some interesting features.
Thus, it has a range of up to 600km and rapid charging (30 to 80%) in 15 minutes, our colleagues point out. Add to this several interior screens which accompany journeys and make this model user-friendly and modern. Launched at the end of the year, this model is selling like hotcakes locally according to initial reports. Will the new 100% Mazda model be inspired by the EZ-6? Only the future will tell us.
Mazda is already a hit in the thermal sector
While waiting for this shift towards electric, business is good for Mazda. The Japanese manufacturer will in fact break your car sales record in the United States in 2024 with 420,000 vehicles sold. The previous record dated from 1986!
Enough to make the president of the company’s North American operations, Tom Donnelly, smile, who attributes this success to the manufacturer’s crossovers and SUVs. He concludes: “We are growing our business in a sector that has been largely stable”.
What to remember:
- Mazda wants to produce its first electric model in Japan
- The manufacturer plans to build factories on site
- It already offers an electric vehicle in China in partnership with the company Changan
