Chinese consumers will have their first opportunity to buy a plug-in hybrid from Mazda when the carmaker launches one locally as early as 2025.
Plug-in vehicle sales are surging in China and while it is battery-electric vehicles that are all the rage, PHEVs are also popular. While speaking with media members at the Japan Mobility Show, Mazda president and chief executive Masahiro Moro noted that “70% of new car sales in China are plug-ins” and confirmed the brand’s new PHEV will be jointly developed with local partner Changan Automobile.
Limited details about this model are known but it is desperately needed in China where Mazda currently only sells a single EV, a special version of the CX-30 crossover. Moro told Nikkei Asia that the firm’s new car sales were down 10% year-on-year from April through September but said the response to the new CX-50 and the updated Mazda3 has been strong.
Read: 2024 Mazda CX-90 With Straight-Six Starts At $39,595, PHEV From $47,445
Mazda already sells two plug-in hybrids in various overseas markets with the CX-60 PHEV and the related CX-90 PHEV. This model is driven by a 2.5-liter inline four-cylinder Skyactive-G engine that is supplemented by a 134 hp (100 kW) electric motor and a 17.8 kWh lithium-ion battery pack. This powertrain is good for 323 hp (241 kW) and 369 lb-ft (500 Nm) in CX-60 PHEV guise or as much as 341 hp (254 kW) and 369 lb-ft (500 Nm) in the CX-90 PHEV in certain markets (not the U.S.).
Mazda previewed a traditional hybrid version of the CX-50 in China back in April through its Changan joint venture. Specifications about this model are thin on the ground but it is claimed to have sourced its powertrain technology from Toyota.
