Mazda Motor Corporation has outlined plans for its newly introduced technology and product development strategy, which includes the rollout of electric vehicles (EV) and plug-in hybrid vehicles within the next few years.
Based on the Japanese automaker’s revised medium-term management plan and its endeavour for carbon neutrality by 2050, Mazda says it will proceed with technology and product development towards 2030 based on five key policies:
- Promotion of electrification and introduction of products − multi-solution strategy.
- Development of technologies for connected services and software technologies as a foundation for next-generation mobility services.
- Promotion of human-oriented safety technologies to realise an accident-free society.
- Human-centred development philosophy in a time defined by carbon neutrality.
- Accumulation of technological assets in line with Mazda’s building block strategy and utilisation for highly efficient manufacturing.
Many automakers across the globe have been announcing electrification strategies, with plans to connect large portions of their fleets by 2030.
This is influenced by several factors, including many countries strengthening key policies such as CO2 emissions standards and zero-emission vehicle mandates, the need to keep up with the demands of the digital economy and more consumers becoming environmentally conscious.
As part of its electrification strategy, dubbed the “Skyactiv Multi-Solution Scalable Architecture”, Mazda says it will produce five hybrid models, five plug-in hybrid models and three EV models between 2022 and 2025.
These vehicles will be introduced mainly in Japan, Europe, the US, China and Southeast Asian nations.
Skyactiv is a brand name for the vehicle maker’s platform consisting of a series of technologies that increase fuel-efficiency and engine output, introduced in 2007.
“Based on this product launch plan, we assume that 100% of our products will have some level of electrification, and our EV ratio will be 25% by 2030.In addition, several products with the Skyactiv Scalable EV Architecture will be introduced between 2025 and 2030,”says Mazda in a statement.
In terms of the development of technologies for connected services, the company says it intends to ramp up on development of fundamental software technology, in order to be able to accommodate next-generation mobility-as-a service and update vehicle functions over-the-air.
This includes adding functions that will enable in-vehicle connectivity and speedy processing of data from inside and outside a vehicle.
“Five Japanese OEM companies will jointly develop standard engineering specifications of next-generation in-vehicle communication devices to push for a standardised communication system in order to provide safer and stress-free connected services sooner,” says Mazda .
The automaker says it will also push forward with its human-centred development philosophy, which values the humanity and safety of people, into a future where carbon neutrality defines the industry.
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