An All-Electric Future? Not Quite
Just a few years ago, many automakers said they would go all-electric by a certain year. Of course, that was a response to ever-tightening regulations that prompted the whole thing in the first place. But as the years went on, the reality became clear: the world wasn’t ready to start plugging in its vehicles. While some countries have the infrastructure, the global reality is very different.
As such, many have adjusted their EV rollout timelines, and some have even scrapped plans for the time being at great expense. For at least the next couple of years, an all-electric future won’t happen right away. With that, several automakers have also shifted their goals to carbon neutrality instead of claiming they’ll have nothing but EVs within the next decade.
Meanwhile, at Mazda
One could say Mazda prides itself on being fiercely independent. Ever since its divorce from Ford, the Hiroshima-based automaker has flourished with genuinely good cars. Many of the cars it builds are described as best-in-class for driving enjoyment, and the company also embraces its underdog status.
It also firmly believes that combustion engines still have a long life ahead of them. Speaking to British publication Car, Moritz Oswald, Project Manager for Product Planning and Co-Creation at Mazda Motor Europe, said the company won’t be retiring engines any time soon.
“Part of our strategy is that we want the right engine for the right customer. So, we will continue to invest in our multi-solutions approach. We will not kill the combustion engine tomorrow,” said Oswald. He then added, “Combustion engines are still, globally, super relevant. If you talk about markets, such as the US, combustion engines for the next couple of years will definitely be the way to go. BEV share is still super low there, even with Tesla’s home market. Also in Japan, we see combustion engines are still very relevant.”
Mazda
Adapting Through Electrification
That said, its electrification efforts haven’t been the best. The MX-30 was severely handicapped by its limited range, but the rotary range-extender model at least addressed that shortcoming. Nonetheless, it was still a sales dud. Then there are the plug-in hybrid versions of the CX-90 and CX-70, which have been met with a mixed reception.
Still, Mazda isn’t giving up on that, either. While it firmly believes in keeping combustion power alive, it still needs a hybrid system that’s truly up to scratch against its rivals. The company is indeed looking into that, as Oswald confirmed. It also backs up Mazda’s claim that the CX-5 hybrid will be a proper one following the lessons learned from previous attempts. By the looks of it, Mazda will use hybridization to keep engines alive and relevant for years to come.
Mazda
Rebellious Streak
Of course, this is Mazda we’re talking about, so it likes to go against the flow from time to time. It has its own way of doing things, a point it made especially clear with repeated promises of bringing back the rotary engine in something sporty. Oswalt hinted at hybridization to make it happen and come back in a better way than the MX-30 R-EV.
The executive said he joined Mazda as his boss called the brand a “rebel with a cause.” The cause would be to continue offering a wide variety of powertrains until such time as the world is truly ready to go electric or a different kind of method. However, he added, “But, of course, we need to keep up with developments. Because going from being a rebel with a cause to losing sight of your competitors is a thin line.”
Mazda is also going so far as to recapture CO2 emissions in its exhaust systems. It’s still in the prototype stage, but the goal is to repurpose those emissions using zeolite and turn them into more useful materials like plastics, fertilizers, or synthetic fuels. If anything, that’s one way to navigate tightening emissions regulations while moving toward carbon neutrality.
Joel Stocksdale
