Mazda Just Doesn't Get it, Stuck in Short Sighted Thinking

[S'toon]

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Mazda has a reputation for embracing and persevering with new technologies. For example, it's still the only car company to make a success of the rotary engine. Yet look at the company's current vehicle range and its cars can seem comparatively low-tech, especially when it comes to things like electric or hybrid power.
"There is no real pressure coming from our customers for alternative fuel vehicles. Both in the US and Europe a minority of either wealthy customers, or companies willing to play the ecological image are buying EV," explains Geffroy.

This isn't a suggestion that EVs are a fashion accessory, but that currently, greater gains can be made from refining the traditional powertrain.

"[Mazda] believes there still is room for combustion engine, especially when you consider the complete carbon footprint," he says. "We've been working on weight reduction for a very long time. On the other hand, we also improved our engine efficiency thanks to our work on compression ratio. This allowed us to achieve low fuel consumption and emissions while maintaining great performances and driving pleasure."

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"However, we will go on working on other types of engine like electric, hybrid or hydrogen," continues Geffroy, "With the clear objective to improve them and commercialize them when ready to provide a customer service comparable to the one of combustion engines."

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Full article at:
Why Mazda is in no rush to go electric

 

[Yip M]

Full article at:
Why Mazda is in no rush to go electric

Thanks for posting this. Last year I sold my 2004 Mazda 6, which had served me well. We looked at the CX5 to replace it, but went with the Hybrid Toyota Rav4. A couple years ago, I imagined having two new Mazda vehicles. My Model 3 reservation means I will have 0 new Mazdas. I feel like electrification would fit really well with Mazda's style, but at this point, they've probably missed the boat.

I wrote them an email saying as much. 2 sales isn't much, but hopefully it's a little bit of "real pressure".

 

[McRat]

Unlike Toyota, VW, and others, Mazda simply does not engineer gas-guzzlers.

 

[JohnSnowNW]

Unlike Toyota, VW, and others, Mazda simply does not engineer gas-guzzlers.

No, they engineer high-compression engines in reduced weight vehicles. Not going to cut it, unfortunately.

 

[thelastdeadmouse]

I think the reality of the situation is that Mazda just doesn't have the resources to develop electrics. That's why they only create inline 4 engines, all sharing a lot of their layout and tech. They also can't really afford to release a vehicle that's not a commercial success. I love Mazda as a company, but I'm just not sure how they're going to manage the eventual conversion to electric. Hopefully they can pick up a partnership with a certain American electric powertrain developer...

 

[TonyWilliams]

Mazda sells under $40 billion in California, therefore, like Land Rover, Subaru, Aston Martin, and several others, they are not required to have an Electric Vehicle in California.

 

[green1]

Mazda: "We don't make electric vehicles because nobody is buying electric vehicles"
Consumers: "How can we buy them if you don't make them?"
Maxda: "why would we make something that nobody is buying?"

This is classic entrenched player thinking. They will either see the light soon, or become a footnote in history.

 

[S'toon]

Mazda still doesn't get it.

Mazda exec Robert Davis doubled down on Mazda’s anti-EV stance at a Michigan trade group convention this week, Automotive News reported. In a seminar, Davis stated that the “impending death of the internal combustion engine is overrated,” said governments shouldn’t “mandate” EVs, and said EV incentives should be eliminated.

Mazda currently makes no electric or plug-in hybrid models, though claimed last year that they were planning to offer EVs in 2019 primarily to meet ZEV regulations.

Robert Davis was a US senior VP of Mazda until being reassigned to a smaller role earlier this year.


Davis also mentioned Mazda’s opposition to the concept of “compliance cars,” a limited-production model sold only in certain markets to fulfill zero emission vehicle mandates in those markets, to allow an automaker to continue selling much higher volumes of inefficient vehicles. He stated that Mazda’s aim is to make every car as efficient as it can be.

ICE engines used in cars have a total thermal efficiency (i.e. how much of gasoline’s energy is turned into motion, rather than wasted as heat/noise) of about 20-30%. Electric motors have efficiency of around 90% and above.

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Full article at:
Mazda exec presents bold ‘let’s pretend the EV future will never come’ strategy

 

[Mr X]

I bet Franz wishes he was still with Mazda. /

 

[ItsNotAboutTheMoney]

Criticize what you don't have, exaggerate what you have.

 

[Phillip L]

By the time different jurisdictions mandate that no new cars except ev's like Britain is going to do, they will be a fading memory. Too bad, I have owned a few Mazda's in my pre-ev days, and really liked them.

 

[aesculus]

Too bad, I have owned a few Mazda's in my pre-ev days, and really liked them.

I had one of the early rotaries and it was a kick of a car. Basically 'fake news' brought those to a halt (rumors of bad seals and trumped up epa ratings that were totally bogus).

 

[Jason S]

I had one of the early rotaries and it was a kick of a car. Basically 'fake news' brought those to a halt (rumors of bad seals and trumped up epa ratings that were totally bogus).

Heh, the 70s rotary engines did basically need a rebuild every 100k miles but they were pretty awesome. And the rebuild could be done very easily.
Up until I was just done with gasoline powered engines, I was a Mazda fan. Even the local dealership would get much praise from me.
But we move on. <3 the Model S.

 

[Gwgan]

Toyota and Mazda link up to build $1.6 billion U.S. plant, develop electric cars

 

[Phillip L]

Welcome aboard the ev express!