13 new electrified Mazda models are set to be introduced by by 2025.
Mazda is now the latest in a very long line of automakers to announce its future electrification ambitions. Coming ahead of its prior announcement regarding its commitment to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030, the Japanese automaker has since recently announced its ‘Sustainable Zoom-Zoom 2030’ development plan, that will see it electrify its entire lineup by 2030.
In order to achieve this ambitious target, Mazda has revealed that it will be debuting its own EV architecture come 2025. Unimaginatively dubbed the ‘SKYACTIV EV Scalable Architecture’, this modular electrified platform will be serving as the basis for several of the automaker’s products from between 2025 and 2030.
Till then however, the ‘SKYACTIV Multi-Solution Scalable Architecture’ will be underpinning 13 new electrified models that Mazda plans to launch from 2022 to 2025. These 13 electrified products will span the range of 3 full EVs, 5 PHEVs and 5 conventional hybrids — some of which will be using Toyota hybrid systems — and is set to be introduced in home market of Japan, as well as Europe, the United States, China, and the ASEAN region.
Now while Mazda has announced its aims here to electrify its entire lineup by 2030, it is nevertheless worth pointing out that it only intends for 25% of its model range to have gone fully electric by that time. It is also perhaps prudent to highlight the fact that the Japanese automaker will still very much be continuing its internal combustion engine development well into the future, with the company reiterating recently that its new straight-six engines will be arriving in the near future.
So it is perhaps still a little to early to wave goodbye to the light and simple MX-5, as there could still be plenty of life left in it yet. And just as a subtle reminder to petrolheads too, remember that Mazda is also currently working on a rotary-powered range extender for their EVs.
Just to round up the few other notable details announced along with its electrification plan recently, Mazda has reiterated its commitment in laying the foundation for a more connected generation of vehicles that can support Mobility as a Service and Over the Air updates. The Japanese automaker also has plans to introduce its new Mazda Co-Pilot human-centric autonomous driving system in 2022.
Much like all conventional semi-autonomous system currently on the market, the Mazda Co-Pilot will be monitoring the driver’s condition at all times. What makes this system unique (and potentially life saving) however is the fact that if a sudden change in the driver’s physical condition is detected, it will switch automatically to autonomous driving to pull the car over safely before placing an emergency call.
PRESS RELEASE: Mazda Motor Corporation today announced its new technology and product development policy towards 2030 based on the company’s long-term vision for technology development, “Sustainable Zoom-Zoom 2030.” Based on our revised Medium-Term Management Plan and our endeavor for carbon neutrality by 2050, which were announced in the past year, we will proceed with technology and product development towards 2030 following the below five policies.
1. Accumulation of technological assets in line with our building block strategy and their utilization for highly efficient manufacturing
- Mazda has consistently followed its Building Block Strategy to efficiently deliver superior technologies by building up a set of fundamental technologies as “blocks”.
- This started with the development of “SKYACTIV Technology” in 2007 which updated our internal combustion engines. The basic electrification technologies were then added to compose our first building-block. Applicable to various products, this architecture became a technological asset to create our product group since 2012.
- We are continuously enhancing our internal combustion engines (SKYACTIV-X and new straight-six engines) and electrification technologies as part of the “SKYACTIV Multi-Solution Scalable Architecture”, which is used in transverse power units in our Small Products and longitudinal power units in our Large Products. Based on this architecture, we will deliver multiple electrification solutions to meet various customers’ needs, environmental regulations and the electric power generating infrastructure in a market.
- In addition, we will introduce Mazda’s unique EV platform “SKYACTIV EV Scalable Architecture” in 2025 for EVs with various vehicle sizes and body types.
- Based on those strategies, Mazda will refine its highly-efficient development methods, namely Common Architecture, Bundled Planning and Model Based Development to enrich our technological assets for the full-scale electrification era with our business partners.
2. Promotion of Electrification and Introduction of Products — Multi-solution Strategy
- The “SKYACTIV Multi-Solution Scalable Architecture” products to be introduced mainly for Japan, Europe, the US, China and ASEAN between 2022 and 2025 will consist of five hybrid models, five plug-in hybrid models and three EV models.
- In addition, several products with the “SKYACTIV Scalable EV Architecture” will be introduced between 2025 and 2030.
- Based on this product launch plan, we assume that 100% of our products will have some level of electrification, and our EV ratio will be 25% by 2030.
3. Promotion of human-oriented safety technologies to realize an accident-free society
- In terms of building blocks for safety technology, we are now working on deploying our human-centric autonomous driving system, “Mazda Co-pilot Concept”, in our vehicles.
- This “Mazda Co-Pilot” monitors the driver’s condition at all times and if a sudden change in the driver’s physical condition is detected, switches to autonomous driving, bringing the car to a safe place, stopping the car and places an emergency call. For the first step, called Mazda Co-Pilot 1.0, we plan to start its introduction from our Large Products from 2022.
4. Development of technologies for connected services and software technologies as a foundation for next-generation mobility services
- Mazda intends to fortify our initiatives of development of fundamental software technology in order to be able to accommodate for next-generation Mobility as a Service (Maas) and update vehicle functions Over the Air (OTA).
- Five Japanese OEM companies including Mazda will jointly develop standard engineering specifications of next-generation in-vehicle communication devices to push for a standardized communication system in order to provide safer and stress-free connected services sooner.
- We will push forward with the development of next-generation Electric/Electronic Architecture (EEA), which will enable speedy processing of data from inside and outside a vehicle.
5. Human-centered development philosophy in a time defined by Carbon Neutrality and CASE
- The Sustainable Zoom-Zoom 2030 vision places the individual at the center of three areas. The planet, society and humanity. We will continue to follow our human-centered development philosophy, which values the humanity and inherent potential of people, into a future where carbon neutrality and CASE are defining the industry.
- By providing vehicles that support people in realizing their full potential, we aim to realize a sustainable and compassionate society.
In line with our corporate vision, Mazda aims to become a brand that creates special bonds with customers by enriching their lives with an experience of car ownership that provides joy of driving, the pure essence of cars.
