Mazda says the MX-5 will embrace electrification to help the brand achieve its sustainability goals.
The future fully electric MX-5 will be inspired by the Vision Study Concept.
Despite this, the brand still hasn’t committed to abandoning gasoline engines.
The MX-5 will be at the forefront of Mazda’s efforts to achieve carbon neutrality by becoming a hybrid and then transitioning to a fully electric powertrain.
The next generation of the MX-5 is planned for 2024 and the CEO of Mazda, Akira Marumoto, told Automotive News that it will be the first MX-5 to be powered by a hybrid drivetrain.
In addition, the executive confirmed that this will only be a transitory model that will lead to a fully electric MX-5 at the end of its product cycle, most likely towards the end of the current decade.
Mazda has been very cagey about its electrification strategy until now, and it still seems that the company doesn’t want to put all of its eggs in the same basket by investing heavily in electric vehicles.
Indeed, the CEO said that Mazda doesn’t want to limit its possibilities by pledging to only sell electric vehicles by a certain date, as many other automakers have announced in the last few years.
Mazda Vision Study | Photo: Mazda
This is because the automaker is looking into other technologies that could help it achieve carbon neutrality without following the same electrification route as most other manufacturers.
To do so, Mazda is currently looking into hydrogen power and synthetic fuels, two technologies that could make for continued use of the combustion engine.
In addition, the company has no set plans to abandon its gasoline powertrains in the coming years, especially since it is still in the process of introducing a new family of hybrid six-cylinder engines in its new SUVs.
Despite this, electrifying the MX-5 will be necessary for the company to reach its sustainability targets in the next few years.
Talking about a future electric MX-5, Marumoto said that Mazda is still committed to keeping the fun-to-drive nature of the small roadster which could see its styling be influenced by the Vision Study concept that was recently shown in a video.
Source: Automotive News via Drive
