Mazda is preparing to launch its first electric vehicle in 2019, on the back of ever increasing demand for such models.
While speaking with Car Advice at the ongoing Los Angeles Auto Show 2016, Mazda’s head of research and development, Kiyoshi Fujiwara, confirmed that the company will initially launch an all-electric vehicle in markets where EVs are in high demand, like Norway.
“Probably by 2020 globally, five to 10 per cent [of vehicle sales] will be pure EV, while the other 95-90 will still use ICE (internal combustion engine). Therefore ICE is [still] the most important technology all over the world,” he said.
“Of course we need EVs. As you know, in Norway, the complete energy source is water… this means that EV is much better for CO2 in Norway. But not in United States or China… Therefore we are focusing on ICE, but some regions we need EV, so therefore in 2019 [or] in that time frame we will introduce EV where it is needed in the world.”
Fujiwara confirmed that a partnership with Toyota to develop the model is a possibility but failed to say what form Mazda’s first EV could take or if it will simply be a variant of an existing model.
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