Mazda accelerates towards an electrified future

Mazda Motor Corporation has released its strategy for an electrified future.

New strategies and manufacturing innovations will allow Mazda to flexibly address the electrification era, it says.

At a Mazda multi-solution briefing session in Tokyo, president and chief executive Masahiro Moro and leadership team members announced three key components they say will enable the company to flexibly address the electrification era through its 2030 management policies.

Mazda aims to improve its competitiveness by optimising investments in batteries and other areas, reducing the expected two trillion-yen investment to around 1.5 trillion yen through collaboration and partnerships.

By using existing assets and forming strong partnerships, Mazda says it aims to maintain quality and maximise expertise while reducing costs in areas such as electric/electronic architecture, hybrid systems, and battery and thermal management. These have been successfully demonstrated through a partnership with Changan Automobile, as well as with other technology partners like Toyota, Denso and BluE Nexus, Mazda says.

Mazda says it will continue to provide customers with the right powertrain sources.

This strategy will ensure that Mazda’s vehicles are equipped with the most suitable powertrain options by market, whether internal combustion engines (ICE), hybrids, or battery electric vehicles (BEVs).

Rapid progression of intelligence technologies and increasingly complex products will help see Mazda evolve its model-based development to improve flexibility, efficiency, and speed.

By combining ICE and electrification technologies, including BEVs, Mazda aims to achieve significant operational efficiencies by 2030.

“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,” says Mazda president Masahiro Moro.

The new SKYACTIV-Z engine will form the core of Mazda’s lineup for small products in the electrification era, meeting Euro 7 emissions standards while achieving high fuel economy and engaging driving performance.

Combined with Mazda’s in-house hybrid system, it will debut in the next-generation Mazda CX-5 by the end of 2027.

SKYACTIV-Z will also reduce the number of engine units and control software, Mazda says.

Mazda’s in-house developed platform for battery EVs will be highly flexible – on both hardware and software – allowing for various battery types and vehicle models, the brand says.

The company’s own battery EV, set for 2027, will be produced in Japan for global introduction, with battery cells developed in collaboration with Panasonic Energy Corporation.

Following the Mazda 6e, a new SUV EV model will be launched during the second phase (2025-2027) of Mazda’s commercialisation roadmap towards 2030.

Mazda’s existing mixed-flow production line will also be used for battery EVs, reducing initial capital investment by 85% and preparation time by 80% compared to new plant construction.

Using automatic guided vehicles (AGVs), will improve flexibility in response to changes in vehicle type and production volume, says Mazda, adding its innovative approach to software procurement and factory over the air (OTA) technology will significantly reduce inventory in the supply chain.