Despite being firm proponents of the internal combustion engine, Mazda never concealed its plans to gradually electrify its range. In the last Asian Tech Forum held in 2018, Mazda had already revealed that a BEV (Battery Electric Vehicle) would debut in 2019, and it may even have a range extender variant like the BMW i3.
So the confirmation that it will unveil a full EV, built on a new, dedicated platform, in next month’s Tokyo Motor Show comes as no surprise. Mazda had also showed off to the media an all-electric prototype wearing the shell of the CX-30 crossover a few months ago, dubbed e-TPV for Electric Technology Prove-Out Vehicle.
Based on the specifications of the e-TPV, this new EV model is expected to get a 35.5 kWh capacity battery (for comparison, the Nissan Leaf has 40 kWh), good for 200 km per charge and it’ll purportedly be powered by a 143 hp and 265 Nm electric motor driving the front wheels – nothing to get too excited about. More intriguing is whether it’ll be offered with an on-board rotary generator?
Whether the yet-to-be-named EV model turns out being a crossover or in another body-style will be one of the more anticipated events of the show. After all, Mazda vehicles of late have been a beacon for Japanese car design, so whether it’s internal combustion or battery powered, a new model from Mazda is always welcomed. Now, can it out-charm the Honda e? We’ll just have to wait.
