- Mazda is building a new plant in Japan, where it will produce Panasonic batteries.
- Its first EV-dedicated platform is being developed in-house and will be ready by 2027.
- Mazda is also working on next-gen lithium-ion and solid-state battery technology
Mazda might be doing just fine without a dedicated EV, but the Japanese automaker is now stepping up its electrification efforts in a big way. It has announced plans to build a new manufacturing facility in Japan focused exclusively on producing EV batteries that will power its first model on a . This move represents a major step forward in its electrification strategy, with the factory set to supply battery modules for the company’s first-ever EV designed on a dedicated electric vehicle platform.
The facility will be located in Iwakuni City, within Japan’s Yamaguchi Prefecture, and will feature Panasonic Energy as the primary supplier for its cylindrical battery modules. Once operational, the factory is expected to crank out enough battery packs to achieve an annual production capacity of 10 GWh
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The cylindrical batteries will be used in a new model riding on Mazda’s first EV-dedicated architecture. The company didn’t set a date for the debut of the EV and hasn’t revealed any technical details. Earlier comments by the CEO, Masahiro Moro, suggest that the in-house development of the EV architecture will be completed by 2027.
Mazda promises this new foundation will deliver EVs with “advanced design, superior convenience, and extended driving ranges.”
In the meantime, Mazda isn’t sitting completely idle in the EV space. The automaker already offers fully electric models, including the Mazda MX-30 crossover, which first launched in 2019 (though it’s since been discontinued in North America). Built on a modified version of the SkyActiv platform—originally designed for combustion-powered models—the MX-30 represents Mazda’s initial steps into electrification.
More recently, Mazda launched the EZ-6 in China, available in both fully electric and range-extender variants. The midsize sedan is built on Changan-sourced underpinnings, which it shares with the Deepal/Shenlan SL03. The same platform-sharing approach is expected for the production version of the Mazda Arata EV Concept, anticipated in 2025 as a sibling to the Deepal SL07 SUV.
Looking ahead, Mazda is diving into a range of battery technologies beyond the Panasonic-sourced modules for its EVs. The automaker is developing high-density lithium-ion batteries in-house, to put them on PHEVs and EVs by 2030. Last but not least, the Mazda CEO has revealed they are also building a “very advanced research base” for solid-state battery technology.
