Good, Cheap, or Quick: Mazda to Drop Billions in Effort to Play Catchup With EVs

Chris Teague
by Chris Teague

Mazda is moving toward electrification but far slower than most automakers. To play catch up, the company is dumping billions into a new plan that could bring some of its EV production efforts to the United States. 


Automotive News reported that Mazda’s looking to spend $10.6 billion through 2030 and will forge several new partnerships to develop batteries, propulsion systems, and more. As part of the plan, Mazda could invest in bringing some of its EV production capacity to the United States as soon as 2026. Automotive News points out that Mazda will partner with battery maker Envision AESC Group, which has also taken investments from Nissan, on the project. 


Mazda’s initial expectations had it shifting around a quarter of its global sales volume to EVs by 2030. That number has now grown, and Mazda says it expects up to 40 percent of its sales to move to EVs by the end of the decade. 


Company executives acknowledge that the U.S. is a significant market for Mazda, so shifting some production here makes sense. New EV tax credit legislation requires that EVs be assembled here to be eligible for federal tax incentives. It’s also cheaper to build vehicles where they’ll be sold.


Mazda currently only has one full EV for sale in the United States, and it’s underwhelming, to say the least. The MX-30 EV only offers 100 miles of range at a time when some automakers offer similarly-priced entry-level models with two or three times the range. 

[Image: Mazda]

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Chris Teague
Chris Teague

Chris grew up in, under, and around cars, but took the long way around to becoming an automotive writer. After a career in technology consulting and a trip through business school, Chris began writing about the automotive industry as a way to reconnect with his passion and get behind the wheel of a new car every week. He focuses on taking complex industry stories and making them digestible by any reader. Just don’t expect him to stay away from high-mileage Porsches.

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 9 comments
  • EBFlex EBFlex on Nov 22, 2022

    Pretty sad when you have to play "catchup" to complete garbage.

  • SCE to AUX SCE to AUX on Nov 22, 2022

    Mazda has been fiddling with rotary engines while Rome burns. This effort may be more than they can sustain as a business.


    The MX-30 doesn't even count as an entry - they stopped US sales at 500 units.

    • Bullnuke Bullnuke on Nov 22, 2022


      I always believed that Mazda should build a hybrid using the rotary engine design as the generator for the battery pack - a small rotary operating at constant speed in its efficiency sweet-spot would seem to be an ideal use for it. I'm equally surprised that Toyota didn't do the same using their rotary tech for the same purpose after partnering up with Mazda.

  • ToolGuy ToolGuy on Nov 22, 2022

    Tesla killer.

  • SPPPP SPPPP on Nov 22, 2022

    I think Mazda will deliver a lot more electrification in their upcoming wave of vehicles.

    • The CX-60 already has a PHEV option overseas, and the upcoming CX-70 will bring that to the USA.
    • They are selling a rebadged Yaris Hybrid in some countries as the Mazda 2. That probably won't come to the USA, but it shows their partnership with Toyota has borne fruits for both sides.
    • They have sold a mild hybrid Mazda 3 for quite a while in overseas regions.
    • The MX-30 has limitations, but I think it makes sense as a city car. I like that they are offering something different in that field. The new (possibly illegal) EV tax credit "domestic content" rules put a wrench in the works for it. It may come back if the domestic content rules get thrown out. Or maybe not. Maybe a future EV comes here instead. I think the MX-30 was always meant as an experiment, not a big volume product.
    • Whatever Mazda does with EVs, they do need to devote significant resources to it. I like that they have conserved resources and tried to spend them in a targeted manner. The Toyota partnership is a great idea in that sense. But they should be careful not to fall too far behind.


    • See 1 previous
    • SPPPP SPPPP on Nov 23, 2022

      As long as you can hear the tires humming and feel the wind in your hair (or on you scalp, to be more honest), I think an EV roadster can work. It won't be as engaging as an ICE with a manual, but I think it can still deliver a better experience than riding the bus.


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