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Mazda: the future will be late…

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A few days ago, Mazda announced its future electrification plans.

Part of the announcement was a really cheesy and obnoxious video presentation. Including nonsensical and meaningless phrases like “Are we protacting our planet for future generations?”, “Are we providing options for everyone to move around freely?”. “We will protect our beautiful earth which brings so much joy to us all”.” We will help bring peace of mind to people and freedom to society”. And my favorite: “By deeply studying human emotions and behaviors, we will bring joy to a life in motion”. Basically telling us Mazda will save the world by 2023.

That saving the world thing will come in 3 stages.

  • Phase 1 is from 2022 to 2024. It includes a US plan and a” “US large product models”. Which, as we know, will be the CX-90 and CX-70 SUVs. I guess the saving the world part will come from the 2.4 Liter PHEV. Not so much the new inline 6-cylinder engine…
  • Pase 2 is from 2025 to 2027. And is called “transition to electrification”. That will include some EVS, but still many ICE models as well as PHEVs and Hybrids. Mazda also mentioned the EVs will be launched in the later part of phase 2. This means, after everyone else…
  • Phase 3. 2028 to 2030 means “Full-scale launch of BEVs”. Phase 3 will also include “investment in battery production”.

This all seems pretty late to me. No real EVs before 2025. And no battery production before 2028 will put Mazda behind everyone else. All they have coming soon are the larger SUVs. While the PHEV will be quite unique among 3 row SUVs in the US, I’m not sure it’ll be enough to keep the company alive. From what we’ve seen in spy shots, the CX-90 won’t be such an attractive vehicle to begin with. They also claim to move upscale, which basically means more expensive than the competition.

All I can say is good luck. And let’s hope they are still around in a few years to launch a next-generation Miata. Hopefully looking like the car in the photos above.

Conversation 4 comments

  1. makes me wonder how Mazda will remain independent. They seem to be late to the game. Their latest move to go upscale has them sinking a lot of money into revamping their dealerships into modern luxury. I’ve visited several when we were shopping for a CX30, they’re really nice but the money would have been better spent making the cars better. The product line has nice design, really great interiors but lack latest in tech and efficiency: 6 speed auto for all models, no mild hybrid, one very rare PHEV, apple car play lacks touch screen controls, etc. And the cars are pretty expensive. $34K for a CX30 which is basically a lifted Mazda 3? Silly. The new CX50 is $45+ placing it dangerously close to other near luxury brands.

  2. I think you can kiss Mazda goodbye. No way it survives without embracing EVs…now! Same for Honda, if it is not careful.

  3. Honda will be fine. It’s partnering up with GM, LG Energy (Independent of GM), and Sony – so it will be significantly cheaper for them to catch up.

    Mazda is definitely going to need to partner up with someone else and the Japanese government may have to facilitate it as they’re very protective of their industry these days.

  4. I love my 2016 CX-5, but I got the email from Mazda the other day that describes, in very flowery language, their future sustainability plans. The basic translation, buried within the extravagant prose, was “we’ve got a whole lot of nothing.” Nothing purely electric until at least 2030, and just very mild hybrid applications attached to the combustion engines before then. Plenty of distraction about, “it’s not just about the powertrain, but about what goes into producing the materials to create the total car,” etc.

    Have been very happy with Mazda, but my next vehicle will be, at least, a plug-in hybrid and they seem terribly behind everyone right now. Not sure how this will go…

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