Mazda Noses Closer To Electrification While Staying True To Enthusiasts
By Phil Royle – Nov. 23, 2020
Mazda is the beloved underdog of the automotive industry. While other manufacturers have gunned for quantity, Mazda has seemingly been content sporting a lower sales volume while cultivating dedicated customers. A few years back, though, the company rocked its own ship by beginning a transition from affordable-but-nice to vehicles that are even nicer, but also kinda pricey. Years later, Mazda’s move seems prescient as Mazda is now a solid option for semi-premium buyers who aren’t quite ready for the German luxury price tag. But one area where Mazda has been significantly behind the curve is electrification. That, however, is changing.
A recent financial report confirmed Mazda is not only introducing multiple inline-6 engines, of which the gasoline version will undoubtedly come to the U.S. allowing the 6 sedan to delight Mazda fans by running head to head against the likes of BMW, but the company will also be introducing a plug-in and 48-volt mild hybrid system on those I-6 engines as well as some I-4 configurations. In addition, the report reveals Mazda not only plans to work with partners like Toyota for its hybrid system, but Mazda also intends to develop its own EV technology.
Mazda’s recent financial report housed several intriguing images, including this one showcasing two I-6 motors and an I-4 plug-in hybrid.
In Mazda’s financial report, stated as coming “post-2022,” the company rolls out statements like “Develop exclusive platform for next-gen EV” under its new values in a CASE (Connected, Autonomous, Shared, and Electric) era, even going so far as to rudimentarily illustrate an electric platform setup over the image of a Mazda Miata.
Mazda’s foundational building blocks in the next two years are reported as “Further evolution of flexible/mixed production technologies; enhanced electrification technology; new U.S. plant,” with one goal beyond 2022 listed as eliminating CO2 emissions in its manufacturing.
According to the report, that new U.S. plant will produce a new Mazda SUV utilizing Toyota hybrid technology.
The report also loosely breaks down the internal-combustion engines that electrified vehicles will sport, with “small product” vehicles utilizing “multiple electrification technologies using [a] rotary engine.”
An electrified rotary setup is something we knew was coming, but that doesn’t change the fact that a rotary is a fascinating choice for powering a hybrid vehicle or as a range extender. Rotary engines are not known for fuel economy or emissions prowess. In fact, high oil consumption is a hallmark of the engine, although that comes largely from engine oil purposefully being injected into the combustion chamber to lubricate rotor apex and side seals. Regardless, burning oil is hardly the most obvious solution in the context of an electrified vehicle.
Mazda’s financial report included an image of what appears to be an electrified rotary.
The use of the rotary does, however, serve a greater purpose: To show the company is loyal to its fans. A hallmark of Mazda is to walk to the beat of a different drum, and for more than 50 years (off and on), Mazda’s drum has involved the brap-brap of a rotary. Like moving to a rear-drive sedan with the Mazda 6, an electrified rotary setup is an unmistakable message to enthusiasts that Mazda is still the scrappy company from Hiroshima that everyone loves.
The financial report’s use of a fourth generation Miata to illustrate an electrified platform is also intriguing. It has long been held that the Miata, known for its nimble handling courtesy of a diminutive weight and size, would struggle with the bulk that comes with electric propulsion. After all, the current generation Miata barely tips the scales at 2,400 lbs, hundreds of pound lighter than the lightest version of the BMW i3, which not only features BMW’s weight-saving-yet-pricey carbon fiber reinforced plastic “life module,” but that vehicle also sports a limited range. Yet if anyone can find a way to keep an electrified two-seat roadster in the featherweight category, it’s Mazda. And based on the company’s most recent financial report, an electrified Miata is no pipedream.
Mazda is changing, and Mazda’s financial report states very clearly that the next two years are building to a transformative future for the company. If Mazda can keep its scrappy image and enthusiast base when it delivers its “post-2022” electrified future, there will undoubtedly be some great cars and fun driving in our future.
(Images courtesy Mazda)
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