Yahoo Autos Mazda's First EV Is Officially Coming Next Month
UPDATE 9/16/19: Mazda spokesperson Tim Olson confirmed that a new EV model will be shown in Tokyo, although he couldn't share any more details at this point. We have updated our story accordingly.
Mazda's first ever electric vehicle will be shown to the world later this year, at the Tokyo auto show in October, according to a report from Automotive News. Mazda has since confirmed to Car and Driver that it will be an entirely new model with a battery-electric powertrain, rather than an electric derivative of an existing Mazda vehicle. We'd guess that this new EV is likely to be a small crossover or hatchback, given current market trends and the competitive set for EVs from mainstream brands.
At the company's Global Tech Forum earlier this year in Oslo, Norway, Mazda showed a test mule based on the new CX-30 crossover, which shares its platform called e-TPV, with an electrified powertrain available with a range-extender gasoline engine. According to AN, this prototype used a 140-hp electric motor and a 35.5-kWh battery pack, but we don't know if that has any bearing on the new EV model's powertrain. Mazda has talked in the past about using rotary engines as range-extenders for future plug-in-hybrid models.
It is unclear at this point whether or not Mazda will sell this new EV in the U.S. market, as the company is not talking specifics yet. Look for more details to come on this new EV over the next few weeks, as its debut is likely to take place in late October in Tokyo.
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