Mazda may have surprised friend and foe when unveiling its all-electric MX-30. A hybrid drivetrain was skipped in its entirety and Mazda went straight to a full-fledged EV. Mazda explain why!
According to Martijn ten Brink, Sales & Customer Service Mazda Europe, the brand was facing a difficult year. “The definitive switch to WLTP and the threat of substantial CO2 fines will make 2020 a difficult year.” Mazda, however, does not have the space to just try something according to Ten Brink. Mazda must be “sure” of its choices. “We can’t just see if a car catches on, partly because we offer the same cars in Europe as in Japan and America.”
Why did the MX-30 “fall out of the blue”? Ten Brink: “We now need a vehicle with zero emissions to lower our CO2 average. Not just in a few years. ” That is why Mazda developed its first EV all by itself and did not wait for its new collaboration with other partners. “We are confident that our new partner ship in Japan will pay off, but such shared development is always taking longer.”
The 141 hp MX-30 has a range of 200 kilometers WLTP. Fairness is not an earth-shattering range in 2020. According to Ten Brink, it is a well-considered decision. “We have been researching how many kilometers our cars drive for fifteen years. This has motivated us not to stuff too many batteries in the MX-30. After all, it costs money and energy to make it, even though it is not even used in 80 percent of the cases. ” The MX-30 can be ordered immediately from € 33,990. The first copies will appear in our country in the autumn. His introduction in Japan and America will follow later, but surprisingly with fossil fuel powertrains.
The entire interview with Martijn ten Brink was in Techzle 5 this year and can be found here.