Japanese automaker Mazda, which until recently denied any interest in ever producing a hybrid, announced yesterday that it intends to have gasoline-electric hybrid vehicles in its lineup at some point during the next decade. Though few specifics were announced, don’t look for a hybrid-only bodystyle; rather, look for hybrid variants of regular production models.
After long contending that gasoline-electric power wasn’t part of its “zoom-zoom” mantra, Mazda finally gave in, likely due in part to strengthening emissions standards in its core markets of North America and Europe.
“It’s going to be the 20-teens that we’re going to be actually engineering all this,” Executive Vice President Philip Spender said yesterday at the Japanese media launch of the 2010 Mazda Axela (Mazda3 for North America).
“And we’re actually trying to pull that forward, if we can.”
Mazda has dabbled lightly in start-stop technology; European versions of its 2010 Mazda3 offer the ability to automatically turn off the gas engine when at a complete stop. Not only does this save fuel, but it also helps the vehicle qualify for different tax brackets in Europe, where taxation in some countries is based on the emissions level.
“We’ve started to talk a lot more about it lately, in part because everybody else is,” Spender said. “We now know what the carbon dioxide targets are. We now know what our fleet performance and our gaps are.”
06/12, 9:39 AM
posted by:
Borat
I think diesel would more aligned with zoom-zoom DNA.
06/12, 9:43 AM
posted by:
mayer_ray_nagin
Won’t an electric Mazda be Zap-Zap?
06/12, 9:50 AM
posted by:
Borat
or woosh woosh
06/12, 10:49 AM
posted by:
johnnycanuck
So soon we’ll have Hybrids, plug-in Hybrids and Happy Hybrids?
06/12, 10:55 AM
posted by:
leftwingagenda
bzzt-bzzt
06/12, 10:56 AM
posted by:
Borat
You missed ladies hybrids: with socket for Panasonic recharging.
06/12, 11:12 AM
posted by:
spg900
It’s obvious that car companies are being bullied into building hybrids.Do you think Mazda, Ferrari, Lamborghini etc. suddenly had a change of heart? I htink not. Bring on the diesels.
06/12, 11:45 AM
posted by:
vandawg
@Borat, I’ve been hoping for diesel m5 this year; oh, well.
@spg900. Completely agree. Look at how mazda has been waffling over the last 3 months. In march they swore that diesel was the future. Since then it’s been backpedal, backpedal.
06/12, 12:11 PM
posted by:
A4
“Oh hey guys! Hybrids? It’s the cool thing? Yeah! I’ll totally do it!”
06/12, 3:13 PM
posted by:
leftwingagenda
spg, although a few manufacturers are doing diesels here in the states, not every manufacturer has experience dancing around the high stringency emissions standards the US does for diesels…remember, emissions standards for air quality in europe are lower than they are here, which allows diesels more market share…
06/12, 3:32 PM
posted by:
zoomzoomer
It seems that Mazda has conveniently forgotten they’ve been selling a gasoline-electic Tribute Hybrid for the past few years already, thanks to Ford! It’s a little ironic that Mazda is resisting hybridization, considering they have a leg up on most competitors who don’t even have hybrid models yet.. and since the Mazda6 shares the Ford Fusion platform, it could easily use its Hybrid driveline!
06/12, 5:46 PM
posted by:
2WheeledSpeed
I think zoomzoomer has a good point… Ford and Mazda share a bunch of cars, yet only Ford has interest in producing hybrid versions of these cars for some reason. Can anyone explain to me why Mazda can’t simply borrow technology from Ford? Is it cost? Will Ford not share?
Unless I’m missing something, Mazda is just being their stubborn old silly selves. They just like to do their own thing (think Rotary!).
06/12, 7:59 PM
posted by:
DrFill
Way to jump on the hybrid bandwagon
The Prius will be able to land on the Intrepid by the time Mazda makes their first one
Sounds like a release by a GM exec 10 years ago after crossovers were introduced
DrFill