Mazda does not have a single all-electric vehicle in its U.S. lineup, and the first EV on its new in-house-developed platform won’t arrive until a year later than previously anticipated. That’s according to new reporting from Auto Express, after the British publication saw an official presentation that showed the EV’s launch would be pushed from 2027 to 2028. The Mazda EV-scalable architecture was first announced in 2021, with plans for several new models to arrive upon it between 2025 and 2030, but the automaker later changed the date for its first car on the platform to 2027, and now it’s been delayed by another year, with instability cited as one of the reasons.
EV Technology Moves Quickly
Mazda
According to the Deputy General Manager of R&D for Mazda Europe, Christian Schultze, “EV technology is not something stable. So while you’re developing, things are changing [and advancing].” He also told the publication that the “availability of resources and expertise” was another significant challenge, which makes sense given how small Mazda is relative to a powerhouse conglomerate like the Volkswagen Group, for example. But this delay may not be a bad thing. Mazda is selling more cars in the U.S. than ever, despite not offering a single EV after the disappearance of the short-lived MX-30. Moreover, Schultze highlighted that some manufacturers that have been faster to offer EVs have already seen some disadvantages, saying that some of these other manufacturers’ EV platforms “have already disappeared, or have been recognized as too expensive or too heavy and so forth.” Mazda is giving itself more time “to prepare the best possible solution.”
Mazda’s First In-House EV Remains a Mystery
Mazda
Mazda still hasn’t revealed what the first product on its own EV platform will look like, but it’s safe to assume that it will be a crossover or SUV of some sort. It’s also safe to say that the new EV won’t be a Tesla Model Y competitor because Mazda has just launched the CX-6e, which slots into that midsize segment. Whatever the new EV is and whenever it finally arrives, it won’t be long before it’s joined by other siblings. Just as the BMW iX3 will share its Neue Klasse platform with several other vehicles, Mazda’s new EV platform is intended to spawn a full range of all-electric vehicles, and each one will be “a true Mazda,” according to Schultze. That means it should be both attractive and fun to drive. We’ll find out more as the year progresses, unless, of course, the platform is further delayed.
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