Mazda has reportedly delayed the launch of its first bespoke electric car until 2029, just months after mules of the SUV were spotted in the early stages of testing.
The car was originally due to arrive next year, but the Japanese firm has instead decided to focus on new hybrid models and technology, local media has reported, likely in response to stagnating EV sales and the resulting uncertainty in the market.
Mazda currently has no EVs on sale after it axed the MX-30 EV six months ago and its rotary-engined range-extender variant last week.
However, two EVs are on the way – the 6e saloon, which will arrive next month, and CX-6e SUV, due at the end of the year – but neither is a bespoke proposition. Instead, they are both the result of a joint-venture with Chinese car maker Changan, which is why the now-delayed EV was seen as such an important vehicle for Mazda.
The Japanese firm is one of the largest independent global car makers to not yet use a bespoke EV architecture for a production car.
The delayed EV is a key part of a $10 billion (£7.45bn) push by Mazda to electrify its line-up over the coming years and will be the first car to sit on the firm’s bespoke EV platform.
Before the delay was reported, Mazda CTO Ryuichi Umeshita told Autocar last year that while the firm is investing in alternative ICE fuels and new types of hybrid powertrain (including a rotary-electric PHEV arrangement), it is working towards an inevitable pure-electric future and is committed to using bespoke EV architectures for its next-generation EVs.
He said: “We’ve established our own electrification development team, which we call ‘E-Mazda’, and that team has been doing a great job.
“I’ve driven a prototype car already, which I would say is a real ‘jinba ittai’ car – our key concept of wellness between car and driver. It has very good driving dynamics. So we’re confident that our EV products will be real Mazda products.”
Umeshita acknowledged that Mazda is behind rivals with regard to launching an EV platform but said the development of the MX-30 means “we do have a lot of good engineers, experienced engineers already, so I don’t think that we are behind the market because of that.”
He stopped short of giving any clues to what types of models Mazda is working on and said a decision hasn’t yet been made on whether its first bespoke EV needs to be a high- or low-volume proposition.
“It depends on the market and the regulations,” he said. “If the regulation requires [a higher EV mix], it must be a volume car. If the regulation is eased, then we can ease the volume restraints.”
Prototypes using the platform were spotted in November. At first glance, they could be mistaken for a CX-90, but the propositions are drastically shortened – which can be clearly seen by the distance between the front door’s leading cut-line and the front wheel well, revealing changes underneath.