Mazda's first electric car is coming: What we know

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The least we can say is that Mazda has not rushed into the transition to electric. With a bit of a delay in getting started, the Japanese manufacturer is nevertheless planning to release a first model. And the company has just said more about it.

Mazda wants to go all-in 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 Panasonic Energy battery cells. The idea is to have 10 GWh of annual capacity.

As for this first model, it will also be built on the Japanese manufacturer's lands with a first launch in 2027. As explained on the site Electrek, Mazda 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 that can be driven 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.

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Remember that Mazda already sells an electric model in China, the EZ-6, a sedan. However, the latter is designed in partnership with the local group Changan. It sells for $19,200 and offers some interesting features.

Thus, it has a range of up to 600km and a fast charge (30 to 80%) in 15 minutes, our colleagues remind us. Add to that several interior screens that accompany the journeys and make this model user-friendly and modern. Launched at the end of the year, this model is selling like hotcakes on site according to the first surveys. Will the new 100% Mazda model be inspired by the EZ-6? Only the future will tell.

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 indeed beat its car sales record in the United States in 2024 with 420,000 vehicles sold. The previous record was set in 1986!

Enough to put a smile on the face of the company's president of North American operations, Tom Donnelly, 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”.

Key takeaways:

• Mazda wants to produce its first electric model in Japan
• The manufacturer plans to build factories there
• It already offers an electric vehicle in China in partnership with the company Changan

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