Next Mazda MX-5 could adopt electric power
The basic ingredients behind the Mazda MX-5’s success could be altered, with one executive saying the NE may be sold as an EV.
Ever since it launched in 1989, the four generations of the Mazda MX-5 have been centred around three pillars: light weight, rev-happy engines, and analogue feeling.
According to Mazda CEO Masahiro Moro, that may change with the upcoming ‘NE’ MX-5, with the executive telling Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport that its next generation could offer electric power.
“The successor must also be ready for a scenario without a combustion engine,” Moro said.
“The challenge for us is to make the basic structure lighter without using exotic materials like carbon fibre.”
While petrol power would remain at the forefront of the MX-5 lineup, Moro said Mazda’s engineers are likely to be able to get the EV version under 1200kg, keeping with the ethos of the current model.
“The target weight for the developers is between just under 1000 and 1200 kilograms, Moro added.
“And I believe we can achieve that. That would mean that a future electric MX-5 would be no heavier than today's combustion engine models”
For context, an automatic version of the current Mazda MX-5 RF – which features a power-folding roof – weighs just over 1130kg, while the entry-level manual tips the scales at about 1070kg.
Jordan Mulach
It’s expected the next MX-5 with petrol power will feature Mazda’s upcoming 2.5-litre four-cylinder Skyactiv-Z engine.
Though Moro appears keen to add an electric MX-5 to the lineup, in February Mazda Europe’s director of research and operations, Christian Schultze, told Dutch publication AutoRAI this would pose engineering challenges to the platform.
“If we’re bound to a fully electric MX-5 in the future, that will be a serious engineering challenge,” he said.
“Everyone knows how much a battery weighs. Relative to the total weight of an MX-5, a battery pack can easily account for half the vehicle’s weight. And precisely that low weight is one of the absolute core values of the MX-5.
“The MX-5 has always been a lightweight sports car. That’s not a marketing term, but a fundamental principle of development. As soon as you add hundreds of kilos of battery weight, you have to drastically compensate in other areas.
Jordan Mulach
“This requires very clever designs, new materials, and different packaging. You really have to delve deep into the technical toolbox to preserve the car’s character.
“I honestly hope that in the future we can offer an MX-5 that is electrified, but not fully electric. That could be a solution, for example, where you combine a relatively light form of electrification with CO₂-neutral fuel. This way, you maintain the light weight and direct character, while working towards emissions reduction.”
With Europe repealing its ban on new petrol and diesel cars by 2035 and the US winding back penalties for emissions, it seems more likely than ever that the MX-5 still has a long road ahead of it, with Schultze adding Mazda wants to “keep this iconic car alive for as long as possible”.
“The MX-5 is an essential part of our brand DNA. As long as we can maintain its core values - lightweightness, balance, and pure driving pleasure - we will continue to look for solutions to future-proof the MX-5.”
