- Mazda is working on an in-house-developed electric SUV here in 2027.
- A plug-in hybrid variant (likely a range extender EV) is being considered.
- The manufacturer announced it plans to continue offering combustion engines in the future, possibly getting them to run on e-fuels.
Mazda hasn’t jumped into electrification like most other mainstream manufacturers. It has developed a bespoke EV in the form of the MX-30, but that has proved unsuccessful, and it’s now been discontinued in the U.S., where its peak sales performance was selling 324 units across the entirety of 2022. But the sporty Japanese automaker says it's not done yet and will try again with another electric SUV coming in 2027.
Last week, the manufacturer outlined what it plans to launch by 2030, and the in-house-made electric SUV here in three years is the most important EV development. Mazda revealed that it is studying a "PHEV derivative," likely a range extender rather than a plug-in hybrid that also powers the wheels.
Mazda currently makes the MX-30 R-EV, which is an EV with a single-rotor Wankel engine generator that is not connected to the wheels, and it brands the model a PHEV (even though it’s a true EREV.) This strongly suggests that the version of the 2027 electric SUV with an engine will have a similar setup and may even retain the rotary engine. The MX-30 was discontinued in the U.S. market in 2023 as its high costs and lackluster range made it rather uncompetitive, but with any luck, Mazda has upped its game since then.
The manufacturer’s rotary engine (RE) development team was reinstated in February of this year, and it confirmed work on these engines would continue. Mazda noted then that “The new RE Development Group will continue to evolve RE used as generators, and will conduct research and development in areas such as regulatory compliance in major markets as well as the application of carbon-neutral fuels.”
The news of an in-house Mazda EV with a potential rotary range extender is certainly exciting, but it’s not the only plug-in vehicle coming in the next few years. Mazda is going to release another electric or electrified crossover sometime between 2025 and 2027 created through its partnership with Changan Automobile. The same partnership resulted in the creation of the Mazda EZ-6 EV, which is also available as a range extender and is also destined for the European market.
Gallery: Mazda EZ-6
But while Mazda sees plug-ins and hybrids as a key part of its future, its decarbonization strategy is more varied and nuanced. Last month, the automaker published a blog called “Are Electric Vehicles the Only Answer? Expanding Possibilities with Mazda’s Multi-Solution Strategy for CO2 Reduction.”
This release focused on statements made by Mazda CEO Masahiro Moro, who said, “The trend for vehicle electrification is unlikely to slow down, but is replacing all cars worldwide with electric vehicles really the solution?” He added, “We believe that providing multiple solutions—from clean diesel engines to hybrids, plug-in hybrids, and electric vehicles—that can adapt to these diverse situations while preserving customers’ freedom of choice.”
So even though Mazda is focusing more on electric vehicles, it won’t abandon traditional engines (even its diesels) going forward. Let’s hope this means we will get to see a production version of the Iconic SP concept shown last year, which is a sleek sports car “designed with production in mind,” which has a dual-rotor Wankel under the hood acting as a generator to make power for the car’s rear-mounted 365-horsepower electric motor.
Gallery: Mazda Arata concept
Just like Porsche, Mazda is looking at alternative and more sustainable fuels to power combustion engines in the future. This approach would allow it to keep selling a combustion-powered Miata in the future, reportedly coming in “electrified” form in 2026. However, it will likely be just a hybrid or mild hybrid and not a big-battery plug-in, since the weight of adding too many batteries would ruin the little roadster’s famed agility and handling poise.
