Mazda to launch its own EV in 2020
Mazda has confirmed that a new EV will be presented at the Tokyo Motor Show, and that CX-30-bodied powertrain prototypes are already up and running in Germany, according to Automotive News.
Mazda is a small company capable of punching well above its weight—that’s clear in its engineering approach and unique design language. Now, despite being a member of the Toyota-led electric vehicle consortium that includes Subaru, Suzuki, and the Denso Corporation, Mazda is also working on its own independently developed battery electric vehicles.
These BEVs will include range extenders for selected markets, and will be built on Mazda’s smaller architecture undergirding its compact and subcompact offerings (as compared to the large architecture revealed in May for the larger, mostly inline-six-powered family).
All this leads us to believe that the 48-volt mild/plug-in hybrid technology Mazda intends to use in its upcoming large architecture will be the same system developed with Toyota and the rest. But there’s more.
In January, Mazda patented a new port and twin-scroll turbo design, which was followed by a claim that a hybrid, most likely turbocharged rotary powertrain could pass all emission regulations. This goes well beyond Mazda’s previous idea of using a rotary as a range extender only, and ever since its latest ”front crash structure” patent has leaked as well, we’ve been wondering when a new RX-9, or any sort of larger sports car, can emerge. Mazda will celebrate its 100th anniversary next year, and we expect the company to do so with a bang.
No matter how the bigger sports car project shakes out, Mazda has a lot on its plate. Developing an EV independently of Toyota is a serious undertaking, and the prototypes hidden under those CX-30 bodies feature 35.5-hWh battery packs that deliver 105 kilowatts of power with 195 pound-feet of torque. Cooking up for 2020, this 140-hp EV will debut next month at the Tokyo Motor Show. We can’t wait to see it.
