Mazda's Potential New EV in the US by 2025

author: FutureCar Staff    

Mazda's first battery-electric production model, the MX-30 crossover, has faced disappointing sales in the US. Despite being available for only two model years, 2022 and 2023, the MX-30 struggled due to its limited range of 100 miles and availability only in California. This led many to label it as a compliance car, resulting in poor sales numbers. In the first eight months of 2023, Mazda sold only 100 MX-30s in the US, a 69 percent decrease from the previous year.

While the MX-30 continues to be sold in other markets like Japan and Europe, featuring a range-extender variant with a Wankel rotary generator, it will be discontinued in the US after the 2023 model year. However, this does not mean that Mazda is giving up on selling EVs in the US.

According to a report from Nikkei Asia, Mazda plans to launch new EVs in the US as early as 2025 to tap into the growing EV market. Interestingly, Mazda intends to build these new EVs on platforms shared with existing gasoline-powered vehicles. This decision is driven by cost considerations, although it remains to be seen how the market will respond when other automakers are transitioning to dedicated EV architectures.

The report also mentions that Mazda's future EVs will be produced at its plant in Hofu, Japan. The advantage of this facility is that it can manufacture gasoline, hybrid, and electric cars on the same line, which helps reduce costs. However, it also means that Mazda's new EVs will not be eligible for the federal EV tax credit, as final assembly needs to be done in North America to qualify for credits.

Mazda seems to have learned from the MX-30's poor reception in the US that selling small EVs may not be profitable. While the specific types of vehicles Mazda plans to launch in the US have not been disclosed, SUVs are considered a safe bet. Mazda's Chief Executive, Masahiro Moro, expressed the challenges of making money from small EVs due to the high costs of production. Therefore, Mazda is looking to target a segment that will appeal to potential EV buyers.

Unfortunately, this means that an electric Mazda MX-5 sports car may not be a priority. The US market is crucial for Mazda, accounting for around 30 percent of its global sales. The brand aims for EVs to make up 25-40 percent of its global sales by 2030.

FutureCar Staff