We want to be economical but not EV-boring, says Mazda boss

Tuesday, 4 December 2018

On the road in Mazda's SkyActiv-X prototype which runs the carmaker's new petrol-diesel engine tech.

There's still life in the old internal combustion engine yet - and that's why EVs will still only make up 5 per cent of Mazda's vehicle fleet by 2030.

The other 95 per cent will be 'ICE plus', forecasts Mazda Motor Corporation president and CEO Akira Marumoto.

In other words, the brand has all sorts of plans for further advances to the internal combustion engine, including partial electrification by pairing the engines with hybrid and plug-in hybrid technology.

Mazda Motor Corporation president and CEO Akira Marumoto unveils the new Mazda3 at the LA motor show.

This is all part of a big plan to embrace what Mazda calls a 'well-to-wheel' perspective and work to reduce CO2 emissions throughout a vehicle's entire life cycle.

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Many regions around the world still use fossil fuels to generate power, meaning that even an EV's carbon footprint can still remain high over its life, says Marumoto.

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In an interview with New Zealand journalists at the Los Angeles Motor Show, Mr Marumoto said Mazda is committed to reducing carbon dioxide emissions to 50 per cent of 2010 levels by 2030.

But not necessarily by relying heavily on battery electric vehicles, he added.

'We accept the automotive manufacturers have a responsibility to reduce CO2 emissions. But with Mazda, it is also paramount that we protect our fun to drive reputation. We don't want to be economical but boring.'

The brand's new SkyActiv-X petrol engine is the first example of this philosophy, said Mr Marumoto. To be premiered in the new Mazda3 hatch and sedan that will go on sale throughout the world from early next year, this 2.0-litre engine will improve engine efficiency by up to 30 per cent, offering the power of a 2.5-litre petrol engine but the economy of a 1.5-litre turbo diesel.

This technology will be progressively introduced throughout Mazda's lineup, and by 2030 there will also be electrified versions of all Mazda passenger cars. This will primarily involve combining hybrid technology with internal combustion powertrains.

These will be Mazda-developed hybrids, designed on the premise that with Mazda vehicles, driveability must come first.

But why such a low percentage of battery electric vehicles? It's because in too many regions around the world, fossil fuels are used to generate power, which means that even an EV's 'well-to-wheel' carbon emissions footprint can still remain high over its entire life cycle.

'Japan is a classic example of this situation,' said Mr Marumoto. Because of damage caused to nuclear power stations by earthquakes in recent times, close to 80 per cent of the country's electricity is generated using fossil fuels.

That means the well to wheel emissions calculation for EVs over their life cycle in Japan can be high, he added.

And while New Zealand boasts one of the world's highest levels of renewable electricity generation, power prices are high, said Mr Marumoto.

'So although your country might be suitable for EV use, will customers be prepared to pay a high electricity bill?'