Mazda, a relatively small carmaker that’s still not armed with truly competing electric vehicles (EVs), is ready to employ a slow-and-steady strategy towards its zero-emission future. It’s clear that one day or another, all carmakers will need to let go of the internal combustion engine (ICE). But not all of them will get there the same way.
In order to rake in profits – which will lead to new investments in EV technology – but also to gradually meet increasingly stringent emission regulations, the Hiroshima-based carmaker wants to bet hard on hybrid technology. Mazda currently sells 48-volt, mild hybrid and plug-in hybrid (PHEV) systems in the CX-70 and CX-90 midsize crossovers. But a recent report from Automotive News suggests that more are coming, including the addition of what Mazda calls “full hybrids”.
Full Hybrids Will Bridge The Gap Between Mild And Plug-In Hybrids
While Mazda continues to focus on developing new EVs, like the recently spied EZ-6 sedan, it will gradually implement more flexible hybrid solutions in all of its vehicles, particularly SUVs due to their high-profit nature.
By full hybrid, Mazda means something that offers more electric propulsion than the mild-hybrid system – which acts mostly like a large start-stop system – but that doesn’t require being plugged in like a PHEV. It’s a similar strategy to Toyota’s, which has been injecting hybrid technology in virtually all its models, including pickup trucks.
But the switch to full hybrids won’t only benefit utility vehicles. According to Naohito Saga, Mazda’s executive officer of R&D strategy who spoke with Automotive News on the matter, full hybrids will also benefit, smaller, more affordable vehicles for urban use. This could also hint to the compact Mazda3 and even the MX-5 Miata roadster eventually inheriting a hybrid system.
Toyota-Based Hybrid Systems And Rotary Engines
In the short-term, Mazda plans on releasing the CX-50 hybrid on our market next month, which will essentially borrow its technology from the Toyota RAV4 hybrid powerplant. But Mazda wants to eventually shift towards its own in-house system which could use a combination of standard ICE powerplants or rotary power.
Mazda is apparently working on not one, but two, small-sized rotary engines. While in the past, rotary engines have had a reputation for burning a lot of fuel and oil, emitting more emissions than their traditional ICE counterparts, Mazda’s Chief Technology Officer, Ichiro Hirose, claims that these prototypes can burn carbon-neutral fuels and be paired with electrified hybrid setups.
While Mazda’s current global electrification ratio only stands at 24 percent, the carmaker expects that by 2030, that number will have climbed between 60 and 75 percent thanks to its progressive hybrid ramp-up.
TopSpeed’s Take
Mazda’s move to bank hard on hybrids is a logical solution for a carmaker that doesn’t have the means to invest heavily in EV technology. It’s also a fantastic way to finance EV development while reducing its carbon footprint. But I’m still skeptical about its ability to combine a rotary engine with electric motors.
On paper, the Wankel engine is compact and runs smoothly, which makes it the perfect companion to an electrified drivetrain. But it has never demonstrated any form of substantial fuel efficiency. It’s also unclear where Mazda’s promised e-fuel will come from or, perhaps more importantly, how much it’ll cost at the pump.
We’ll see how all of this plays out for little Mazda. I’ll have a chance to drive the Toyota-powered CX-50 hybrid next month in Montreal during its North American launch. I’ll report back here with my driving impressions.
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